Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard
by Corruptmonk
Summary: There is something unique about Naruto's chakra, paving his way to become a powerful shinobi in the future. With a new bloodline to back him up, Naruto will take the Elemental Nation by storm.
1. Chapter 1

**Here's is another story that have been running around my head for a few months now. This is the result of my imagination combining Naruto with fantasy novels I've read a few years back. It might have some similar abilities to Harry Potter or other fics but I'll be honest with you that it came from my head. **

**Anyway, disclaimer, I don't own Naruto or other stories that this fic might be similar with.**

**(Please read announcement at the bottom of this story regarding my other stories)  
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><p><strong>Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<strong>

**Chapter 1**

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><p>A blonde-haired boy wearing a blue shirt and orange shorts was hiding in the shadows, taking extra care to hide himself from the adults looking for him because of his latest exploit – giving the Hokage Monument a complete make-over complete with make-up and a new hairdo that effectively turned them into queers. Just a normal day for one Uzumaki Naruto.<p>

He peeked out from his hiding place and noted that the assorted shinobis chasing him were no longer in the vicinity. A fox-like grin made its way to his face before disappearing with a loud pop.

A lone shinobi lagging behind the chase heard the sound and decided to investigate. He didn't find anything in the dark dark alley except for a lonely black cat sleeping on top of an old dumpster.

(Line Break)

Naruto appeared in his living room with a loud pop before releasing a sigh of relief. Deciding to get a snack to calm his nerves, he proceeded to the kitchen, pulled out a cup of instant ramen, and filled it with hot water from a thermos. He brought it to the table and sat down to wait for the preserved noodles to be cooked to perfection.

"_**That was a nice prank you pulled kit. You should have seen the faces of those chasing you when they saw their beloved Hokages sporting make-up and a new hairdo."**_ a voice inside his head said followed by a loud barking laugh which caused Naruto to grin.

"_Believe it. Besides, those old geezers needs a new look anyway, especially Hokage-jiji."_ he mentally replied haughtily to the voice as he served himself some of the delectable morsel in a cup.

"_**Anyway, you're getting good with that disappearing trick of yours. Have you experimented with it?" **_the voice asked, curious. Naruto shook his head while slurping some of the hot ramen.

"_Nope. Not yet. Ever since it happened, I only practiced the disappearing trick."_ he answered the voice while slurping the remaining broth from the cup. He heard a sigh from the voice in his head.

"_**How many times do I have to tell you? It's called Teleportation."**_ the voice corrected him in an exasperated voice. Naruto just rolled his eyes since they've been debating the technique's name for a month now.

"_Yeah yeah, Kyuubi. Fine. Teleportation it is from now on. And to answer your question, no, I haven't experimented on anything other than teleportation." _answered Naruto in an annoyed voice.

The people of Konohagakure no Sato would have been shocked if they found out that Naruto was having a conversation with his tenant, the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

It was a freak accident that caused him to pass out in a deserted alley after running away from a team of ANBU after pulling a prank on the Hyuuga Clan – painting their underwear bright orange without them knowing about it in the middle of the night was quite a blow on the clan that prided themselves on their all-seeing eyes.

Of course, everyone knew that he did it since he was a well-known prankster in the village and the orange was a dead giveaway since it was his favorite color so he didn't bother to deny the accusations. He simply ran.

He met Kyuubi in his mindscape after passing out when he hit his head on a brick wall when he mistimed his jump. He found out about his furry tenant who explained to him how he was sealed inside him by the Yondaime Hokage and how the seal will stop him from escaping.

It took quite a while to explain everything since the boy was ranting and raving about him being inside his 'stomach' so to speak which was the reason why the villagers was treating him like garbage. At the end, both were able to strike a deal with each other – Naruto will provide Kyuubi access to the outside world through his senses; and in return, Kyuubi will guide the boy on his goal to become a powerful shinobi though he warned the boy beforehand that his technique was quite different from the usual shinobi fare since his abilities are mostly in chakra manipulation and he only knew of a few shinobi techniques he could teach him. Naruto just waved him off and accepted the help.

He discovered his 'Teleportation' ability accidentally when a mob cornered him in an alley after being discovered of playing a prank on one of the merchant's shop in the village. Really, there is nothing wrong with painting the entire shop pink. It was a good color – bright and happy – but it seems that the owner of the shop didn't like it or he was a hidden pink-hater.

After being surrounded by a mob carrying all sorts of sharp implements to hit him with, he disappeared with a loud pop when he was overcome with fear, wishing to be in a safe place away from them. He arrived on top of the Hokage Monument in a heap, not knowing how he got there.

Naruto and Kyuubi brainstormed about what happened, coming up with different theories on how the boy 'teleported' away from the mob.

Naruto told him that he was just awesome that way while the fox looked deep into the boy's genetics to come up with a plausible explanation of the phenomenon. It took a while but Kyuubi was able to find out that the seal and his presence in Naruto altered his genetics to produce chakra into something that is more unique and potent. It is still the same chakra that the shinobi population uses for their techniques but it had an added 'ingredient' to it that allowed Naruto to teleport – and if Kyuubi was right, which the fox said that he usually is; Naruto would be capable of other feats if he took the time to experiment a bit.

It took a week of practice to get teleportation down to an art by disappearing and reappearing anywhere in his apartment. Try as he might, he couldn't get rid of the sound though but beggars can't be choosers.

"_**You know kit, if you could harness this 'ability' of yours, it would make you a powerful shinobi one day. I mean really, if you can disappear from one place to another without any restrictions,, you can do anything if you put your mind into it. If I remember correctly, you were busy 'wishing' to be somewhere safe when you got cornered by that mob after your prank. Your unique chakra helped you out by teleporting you to the Hokage Monument. You can do other things if you put your mind into it."**_ explained Kyuubi in the most convincing voice he could muster. He didn't want the boy to waste whatever talent he has in his system.

"_So what you do think I should do first, Kyu?"_ mused Naruto, a bit excited on the thought of becoming a powerful shinobi with his 'unique' ability as the fox called it.

"_**Hmmmm nothing much. From what I can tell, you willed yourself to go to a safe place which coincidentally was the Hokage Monument since you hang out there a lot. If you can harness your 'will' properly then you might be able to do other things. But for now, there might be something in the Konoha Library that could help you get started so you might want to hit the books first." **_

"_WHAT! No way! I am NOT going to read! It's so booooooring."_ he whined in his most childish voice but it didn't take much effort since he was still 6 years old. _"Besides, it's not like I'm welcome there anyway. I tried going there once since jiji suggested that I read something before I start the Academy but the old geezer in the library wouldn't let me in." _

Kyuubi silently cursed at the stupidity of humans. These humans were living in a shinobi village so they should know something about seals or ask an expert about it. But no…they chose to ignore that because it would be easier to just blame the boy because of his presence inside him. He perked up a bit when an idea hit him.

"_**Why don't you disguise yourself kit?"**_

"_Disguise myself? How? I don't really have money to buy a decent disguise you know."_ he complained thinking about the money the Hokage gave him as a form of allowance that is given to orphans who chose to live by themselves. He barely had enough to buy stuff he needs since the shops in the village overcharge him. The only place he could eat in peace at the right price was at Ichiraku Ramen where the Hokage treats him when he's not busy with his work.

"_**That's where I come in. I can teach you how to access your chakra then I'll instruct you how to do the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) so you can go into the library anytime you want. Besides, the old geezer guarding the library is NOT a shinobi so you don't have to worry about him dispelling your disguise." **_

Excited about the prospect of learning his very first ninja technique, he immediately agreed and disappeared with a loud pop to the forest behind the Hokage Monument so he can practice in peace.

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><p>It took a month for Naruto to access his chakra which was followed by Kyuubi immediately teaching him the <span>Henge no Jutsu<span>.

The fox first taught him how to settle down and find the chakra source in his body. It took quite a while for him to find it but he was shocked when he did. He had so much chakra in his body that even Kyuubi was amazed. His tenant informed him that his chakra reserves was 5 times larger than your average Genin which made Naruto jump around in excitement shouting that he was going to be powerful in the future.

Kyuubi immediately shot him down by telling him that having so much chakra was good but his control would be shot because of it. This caused an hour-long debate between the two between control and power. Of course, Kyuubi won with his logical explanation that easily trumped Naruto's defense.

After the debate which Naruto lost, Kyuubi taught him the various steps to control his massive chakra reserves before doing any jutsus. Of course, Naruto whined the whole way but immediately shut his trap when Kyuubi threatened him that he will not be teaching the boy ANY techniques if he didn't have any control over his chakra.

It took the rest of the month to exert a minimum control over his massive reserves. Naruto started out with the basic Leaf Sticking exercise which took him a week to master which would normally take an Academy student a day or two to accomplish.

Another week was focused on Tree Walking which Naruto was quite excited to do. For Naruto, walking on walls and trees was amazing in his mind. Kyuubi took all this in stride since he found it funny every time his container was blasted off a tree like a rocket when he used too much chakra during the exercise.

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><p>Naruto left his apartment ready to start his first mission – infiltrating the Konoha Library.<p>

He already mastered the Henge no Jutsu which was too easy for him much to the surprise of the fox. Again, Naruto told his tenant that he was just awesome that way but the fox shot down his growing ego by telling him that it was because of him that he was able to master the jutsu easily. After all, foxes were natural shapeshifters so the trait must have passed on to Naruto after the sealing. Naruto grumbled about that causing Kyuubi to give him a smug look that spoke volumes.

Naruto ducked into an alley behind the Konoha Library and put on his disguise. He came out with a black messy hairstyle. His eyes were a light shade of green, almost jade. His trademark whiskers were gone since it would immediately alert people that it was him sporting a new look. He also changed his facial structure to a more angular look as opposed to his original rounded face. He didn't change anything else since it wasn't necessary so his clothes and build stayed the same.

He nervously entered the library expecting the old geezer who guarded the place to kick him out. Much to his surprise, the man simply gave him a smile while saying that it was great for kids to start reading at an early age. After telling the disguised Naruto to come to him if he needed any help, he ushered him inside while telling him to have fun.

Naruto and Kyuubi were inwardly laughing at how they were able to fool the old fossil.

Naruto found himself in a very large room filled with bookcases crammed to the brim with scrolls and books. He knew that the Konoha Library was divided into two parts – the Civilian section where he was now and the Shinobi section that was in the second floor of the building.

Anyone can access the Civilian section but you need to have the Leaf Headband before you go to the more informative Shinobi section – which contained regulated information that can be too dangerous for those who have no training for it. Naruto also knew that sensitive information was hidden away inside in a well-guarded room inside the Hokage Tower close guarded the ANBU round the clock.

Despite his plans to raid the Shinobi scrolls and books, his plans were for naught since there was a Chunin standing guard by the stairs. He cursed his luck but decided to go through with the plan…for now. He didn't know where to start so he decide to consult the brains of the mission.

"_So what do you think I should look first Kyu?"_ Naruto asked his tenant while checking out the labels on the shelves. He was in the History section of the library where the shelves were filled to the brim with very old-looking scrolls and books.

"_**Hmmm. I'm not really sure."**_ this caused Naruto to palm his face…hard. "_**Hey, it's my first time in the Library so I don't know EXACTLY what we're looking for. However, the best place to start is to find any information on Bloodline Limits. Our goal is to find a Bloodline that is similar to yours if ever there is one. **_

"_Fine fine. I think those books are in the next row. Let me check it out."_ said Naruto while grumbling about annoying know-it-all foxes. He left the current row and walked to the next one checking out the titles on the shelves as he walked. He stopped when he found a book entitled 'Bloodline Lexicon of the Elemental Countries'.

"_This looks like a good one to start with. What do you think?"_ he asked his tenant while opening the book to see that different the different Bloodlines were sorted according to the Village they were cultivated. He felt Kyuubi reading along with him.

"_**Yep. Start reading."**_ The fox ordered. Naruto rolled his eyes but did as instructed.

Two hours later, Naruto's eyes were watering while Kyuubi was ranting in his head that this was taking too long.

"_**Stop kit. We aren't getting anywhere with this.. If we keep this pace then we won't be able to experiment with your abilities until you have gray hairs. I have a plan so I want you to go back to our clearing in the forest. I'm going to teach you something we can use to get our research done faster."**_

Not wanting to argue with an irate fox, Naruto placed the book back on its shelf and disappeared with a loud pop back to the forest clearing where he practiced with his chakra.

"_So what do you want to teach me?"_ Naruto asked excitedly. Kyuubi rolled his eyes at his container's childish antics.

"_**I noticed back there that reading one book at a time was taking too long so we need reinforcements. I know one technique that we can use to speed up the process. It is called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique). I think it's classified as a Kinjutsu here in Konoha. My first container used it a lot back then so I know how it's done." **_

"_What so unique about this jutsu? I mean it's just a clone right?"_ asked Naruto, confused at what a clone technique could do with their research.

"_**It is not your usual clone, kit. It's classified as a forbidden technique for a reason. For one, it requires a shit-load of chakra to use but you already got that covered with your current reserves and with me inside you then there's nothing to worry about. Next, once dispelled, the memories and experience of the clones will be transmitted back to the original so you will learn what they learn and feel what they feel. It is also the ultimate training jutsu that only those with high-enough chakra reserves can utilize. We can infiltrate the library at night using your teleportation since we need to access the Shinobi Library instead of the Civilian one; make a lot of clones and have them read different books. I'll sort through the memories myself to avoid damaging your brain and keep you posted if I find information that is related to your abilities.. Interested?"**_

"_Hell yeah, Kyu. Let's get started."_

Kyuubi showed him the handseal for the technique and instructed him on the amount of chakra to use for it. It took him 2 hours to get it done. It took him quite a while since Kyuubi tasked him to experiment with the chakra usage to make sure that the clones were adequately powered to avoid getting dispelled before their task is done.

In the end of the practice session, Naruto was able to make 100 clones with ease that could last for 4 hours without dispelling. Kyuubi instructed him to rest for now since he used up quite a lot of his reserves practicing the jutsu. Kyuubi left it out that Naruto could use his chakra for the technique but didn't want to alert the authorities patrolling the village since his chakra was so potent that even civilians can feel it.

Naruto, who was already tired on his feet, didn't argue with the fox so he simply teleported to his apartment, jumped onto his bed and immediately went to sleep.

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><p>Naruto was woken up around midnight by Kyuubi who was quite excited to get their infiltration mission on the way. After eating 5 cups of instant ramen, Naruto changed his clothes to darker colors (black shirt and blue pants) to make sure that he can immediately hide when he needed to. Once done, he visualized the interior of the library and willed himself to the location he memorize earlier – behind a large bookcase that is far away from the door to hide the sound of his appearance. He disappeared from his apartment with a loud pop.<p>

Naruto crouched down to hide when he appeared in the library knowing that the sound of his teleportation might alert whatever guards was in the area. As planned, Kyuubi took over Naruto's senses for a bit after the boy gave him his permission and did a sweep of the alley and some distance around it. He gave Naruto the all clear when he didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. They have the library all to themselves for the night.

"_**Ok kit. No one's in the area so make 100 of your clones as we practiced earlier then tell them to read different books for our research. Now hop to it."**_ ordered Kyuubi. Naruto rolled his eyes at how stupid the order sounded.

"_Really Kyu. 'Hop to it'? I'm not a rabbit you know."_ Naruto deadpanned. He swore that he felt the Kyuubi blush.

"_**Shut up. You're too young to complain kit. I'm more mature than you." **_Kyuubi defended himself. This made Naruto grin.

"_Sure sure. But you're right. You're the more mature one between the two of us. In fact, you're older than dirt."_ said Naruto with a grin. This resulted in the fox ranting about kids respecting their elders which caused Naruto to hold his head in pain.

_Fine fine. Shut up will you so we can get started."_ the boy spat which caused his tenant to shut up. After a mumbled apology from his tenant, Naruto summoned 100 clones and instructed them to check out books that might hold some answers or clues to his abilities. He instructed 10 clones to check out the Civilian side of the Library while he and rest go up to the Shinobi section. The clones saluted and scattered to do as instructed. Naruto chose a book from the shelves entitled 'Chakra for Dummies' before sitting down on the floor and started to read well into the night.

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><p>Naruto teleported back to his apartment an hour before the library opens to the public sporting a headache. He and Kyuubi didn't find anything related to his abilities but he could now brag when he attends the Shinobi Academy that he is knowledgeable about the history of the Elemental Nation, the different Bloodline Limits, Shinobi Mythologies, Chakra Theories, with some classical works thrown in. He never did find out why some of his clones were reading love stories.<p>

He slumped over to his bare kitchen and filled up a pot with water then placed it on top of the stove to boil. He stomach was demanding food since reading took a lot of energy despite being a chore done sitting down.

"_That was a useless night."_ complained Naruto while massaging his aching temple. He never wanted to hold another book if he can help it but he knew that his measly wish was not possible.

"_**Stop complaining kit. There are thousands of books and scrolls in the library. You can't expect to find something about your abilities overnight. We will do this again tonight so you might want to rest up since we are going to start early so we have more time to check out the materials there."**_ said Kyuubi in a solemn voice. He was also dejected at their lack of findings but he knew that there wase still a long way to go to find what they needed about his container's abilities.

"_Fine. You're right. But at least we got something out of it." _Naruto grumbled but a small smile made its way to his face. _"Reading can quite fun, especially when you find something that interests you."_ remembering being engrossed in his book about different chakras and its uses in the shinobi field.

"_**True. You have to realize kit that being a ninja doesn't always equal flashy jutsus, blurring speeds, and powerful punches. Ninjas need knowledge. After all, muscles without a brain to guide them are useless. So despite the fact that we didn't get anything about your abilities, you are still learning something related to being a shinobi of the Leaf."**_ explained Kyuubi in a sage-like voice. Naruto nodded while a thoughtful look crossed his face.

"_Yep. I was thinking, instead of just focusing on researching about my abilities, what you say about starting my training early. I can check out some Taijutsu moves and other Shinobi related materials so I can train in them. We can alternate between training and research since I still have 2 years before I go to school." _he mused while pouring the boiling water into 4 cups of ramen. He got an excited nod from his tenant.

"_**That's a good idea, kit. We'll start next week since it's already Wednesday. I want you to do research until Saturday, rest on Sunday then we can start alternating between training and research next week. How does that sound?"**_ asked Kyuubi with mild interest, already coming up with a training schedule for his container. After all, having his container become stronger is only right since he IS the strongest of the tailed beasts.

"_Gotcha. Now let me eat in peace so I can go to bed. We have a long night tonight."_ said Naruto as he inhaled the ramen as fast as he could since bed sounds very good right now.

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><p><em><strong>=Time Skip: 1 year; Naruto Age: 7=<strong>_

It's been a year since Naruto started infiltrating Konoha Library and is becoming a night-time tenant of the place. He tried learning everything he could while researching on his abilities. They didn't get any solid facts out of their research but Kyuubi was able to theorize that Naruto's abilities was the first in the Elemental Nations which made his host excited. It was similar to a bloodline but they can't say anything more since they lacked the evidence to back it up.

During a year of reading and research, Naruto was able to accomplish two things.

One, he was able to learn the art of Meditation since Kyuubi told him that his abilities seems to reflect his mind using the first instance Naruto teleported as an example. To ready Naruto for future experimentation, Kyuubi ordered his container to look for books on Meditation to help him use his mind better. So while his clones were reading and researching, Naruto proceeded to meditate with Kyuubi guiding him all the way.

It took him a week before he was able to control his muscles enough to relax due to having too much energy to stay put. It was hard work but he couldn't deny the benefits he got from it.

First benefit he got from meditation was focus. He can now shift his focus as needed. His comprehension and vocabulary improved that he no longer needed to re-read books just to understand it. He also discovered that he has photographic memory but Kyuubi assured him that it was normal since he is able to access his mindscape due to the seal. He can even hold a conversation with his clones while reading without missing a beat.

The second benefit he found out by accident – discovery of his chakra system. When he delved deep into his mind or when he goes into a deep meditative state, he could sense the chakra in his body. Kyuubi congratulated him when he discovered his chakra network since such skill was considered Jounin to Sannin level. With it, he was able to achieve better control of his chakra to the point that the Water Walking exercise took only a day to master. This caused Kyuubi to grumble since he was looking forward to Naruto making a fool of himself.

Two, he finally found his niche as a ninja. He read a text about sealing and he couldn't tear his eyes away from it.

The first text he read was 'Basic Seals for Dummies' by the Toad Sage Jiraiya. Unlike other books he read, or those that his clones read, it seems that he could understand the formation and creation of seals with ease, as if sealing was in his blood which Kyuubi pointed out that it could be possible since he has a seal on his stomach.

Naruto immediately thrashed the theory and gave the fox a look that easily said 'Are you stupid or something?'.

He was able to utilize simple seals on his apartment. First, he placed a Durability Seal on his clothes since he didn't want them to get ruined because of his training. He also tried simple Security Seals on his apartment, like a Locking Seal that requires his chakra to unlock the door and windows. He also added Durability seals on the walls so the mob that visited wouldn't be able to get through the locks on his door and windows.

He was also able to successful add a Heating Seal on the shower head so he enjoyed a lot of hot showers despite the landowner turning it off to his discomfort.

He also wanted to try his hand out on Exploding Seals after reading it in a book which is considered as basic for Chunnin level shinobis but Kyuubi shot the idea down since he wasn't that far into his studies and one wrong move could obliterate both of them to kingdom come. Thankfully, Naruto was scared enough to postpone the idea for the future.

He was also lucky enough to read through a Taijutsu training manual by Maito Gai on how to develop one's body in preparation of becoming a shinobi though the title of the book left a lot to be desired - Taijutsu for the Youth: Stoke Your Flames of Youth To Become Strong. Kyuubi commented that the author is either eccentric or not right in the head. Naruto gave the benefit of a doubt that it's the former.

Despite its title, the book was simple and direct to the point. It explained the fundamentals in developing one's body to produce more speed and power for later use in Taijutsu. Maito Gai also explained that the Konoha Academy Taijutsu style is a basic form to start kids in creating their own style or following pre-existing style through muscle memory. It is considered as a foundation of Leaf Taijutsu and is flexible enough to be expanded to other styles to fit the practitioner.

The book also detailed exercise routines through the use of training weights sold in many shinobi stores in Konoha to improve speed and strength. He immediately tried it out the next day. He used his favorite disguise to buy a set of chakra weights for both arms and legs. It bit deep into his wallet, emptying half of his savings, but it was worth it since the weight can be changed through the application of chakra on the special seals engraved on the metal.

After buying the weights, he immediately ducked into a dark alley and teleported to the clearing. He placed them on his arms and legs then channeled a little bit of chakra into it. He was lucky that his control was good or else he would be kissing dirt right now.

His first try caused the weights to go up to 5 kilos each which almost tore his arms out of its sockets. He trimmed down the chakra output until he was able to set the weights to 20 pounds each which was the advised weight for beginners. He didn't start with any Taijutsu styles but he poured himself on various exercises and stretches, like running laps, push ups, pull ups, sit ups, and the likes. His whole body was sore when he returned home that afternoon but Kyuubi assured him that his body will be good as new tomorrow with him accelerating the healing process.

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><p><em><strong>=Time Skip: 1 year; Naruto Age: 8; 2 Months Before Start of Shinobi Academy =<strong>_

Naruto was in the library reading a book on seals by Namikaze Minato. He was already finished with the first two books on seals written by Jiraiya of the Sannin and is now reading the next stage as recommended by the Toad Sage – The Namikaze Compendium on the Sealing Arts.

It was at this point that he discovered another ability of his unique 'bloodline'.

He was busy reading the first book of the Namikaze Compendium until he cursed when he got to the part telling him that he needed Jiraiya's book on Gravity Seals as reference since the drawing of the seal was not included the Namikaze Set.

"Damn it. Why can't he just put the drawing of the seal in HIS book instead of referencing it on Jiraiya's book." he cursed loudly.

"_**What was that kit?"**_ asked Kyuubi who didn't know why Naruto was cursing since he was busy sorting through the memories from some of the dispelled clones.

"I have to look for another of Jiraiya's sealing books regarding a diagram on Gravity Seals since the book I'm reading doesn't have it on the page. I haven't seen that book and looking for it here is like looking for a needle in a large haystack." said Naruto, already stomping to a section of the library where he found most of the books on Seals.

"_**No use cursing about it now. Just look for it."**_ Kyuubi said in a distracted tone, going back to the clone's memories.

"Fine." grumbled Naruto as he checked out the shelves containing most of the books and scrolls on Seals.

After an hour of searching, Naruto was fuming since he really wanted to know how Gravity Seal works since the book explained that it trained the body by adding more resistance to it as opposed to weights. He was silently cursing while mentally thinking of the title of the book as he searched the shelves.

He didn't notice the book flying at him from one of the far shelves until it hit him on the side of the head which caused him to fall on the floor in a daze.

"What in the hell was that?" shouted Naruto as he massaged the side of his head which was now sporting a sizable lump.

"_**I don't know but there was a surge here in your chakra coils before you got hit. What hit you anyway?"**_ asked Kyuubi while investigating Naruto's coils for abnormalities as he subconsciously sent some of his healing chakra to the bump on Naruto's head, effectively reducing the swelling until it was nothing but a memory.

"How should I know? I was just checking out the shelves for Jiraiya's book before something hit me." he grumbled. He stood up but not before seeing a book in front of him. There it was. Jiraiya's book. "What in the world is that book doing there? It wasn't there before?" he demanded as he pointed at the book as if demanding it to explain its sudden appearance.

"_**Don't know. But it's there now so why are you complaining?"**_ said Kyuubi in monotone but he was excited at what happened though he didn't want to show it to Naruto to get his hopes up.

"Did it ever occur to you that this is strange?" he said to his tenant while picking up the book. No wonder his head felt painful. It was a very big book and all of it is about Gravity Seals. "I know this book is not in this shelf or in this section, and from the way it hit me, it should have come from somewhere over there." He looked over to a group of his clones in the same lane as he was. "Hey guys. Did you throw this book at me?" he shouted at the clones while waving said book in front of him. One of the clones shook his head before going back to his reading.

"No boss. None of us did. We were busy reading." he said in a disinterested voice while the others with him just nodded their head, not taking their eyes of from their respective books. This caused Naruto to sweatdrop. When in the world did his clones act like that...so focused…so cold.

This caused Kyuubi's ears to perk up in interest. He pulled up the memory of Naruto checking out the shelves for Jiraiya's book and concentrated on everything in it. From the looks of it, his container was concentrating on a particular book before the pain. So it must be…

"_**Kit. I want you to try something for me."**_ Kyuubi asked with a lot of excitement in his voice.

"_What is it Kyu?"_ he asked mentally, confused why his tenant was excited all of a sudden.

"_**See that book that your clone is reading?"**_ Naruto nodded. _**"Good, I want you to focus on it and call it to you."**_This caused Naruto to give the fox a look that spoke volumes.

"_Are you smoking something in there_?" deadpanned Naruto. _"If you are then I suggest you get rid of it."_ This got him a growl from his tenant.

"_**Shut up and just do it. I need to prove something before we can move on."**_

"_Fine. Shut up so I can concentrate, stupid fox."_ grumbled Naruto.

He concentrated on the book his clone was reading and called it to him. After 5 minutes of concentrating, he tried another tactic. He noticed the book title and focused again. This time, the book slipped out of the clones hands to the floor. The clone looked at that book as if it was something else.

This shocked both Naruto and Kyuubi. He tried again, this time putting all his concentration on the task. He visualized the book, title and all, flying towards him. He felt a surge in his chakra then the book flew from the floor where the clone was about to retrieve it towards him, luckily catching the literary projectile before it could hit him.

"What in the world was that?" shouted Naruto catching the attention of all the clones in the library.

"Hey boss. I'm not done with that yet." whined the clone that missed grabbing the book when it flew towards its creator, while the rest was alternately looking at said book in Naruto's hand and the whining clone.

"Shut up. Instead of worrying about that book, you should be worried how I got it in the first place." shouted Naruto in a voice mixed with awe and excitement. _"Kyuubi, any idea what happened?"_

"_**I do. It seems we have found a 'key' to your abilities kit."**_

"'_Key'? What do you mean?"_ asked Naruto.

"_**I finally figured out how your abilities work kit. While you were concentrating, I was busy focusing on your abilities. It seems that your 'bloodline' reacts with focus, intent, and visualization thrown in for good measure. You focused on the book to come at you but it didn't. Then you tried it again using the title of the book. Still didn't work but it got you some results. But when you visualized the book coming to you, it did. It is similar to how you teleported for the first time. You were THINKING about the Hokage Monument at that time and you subconsciously channeled your chakra causing you to teleport yourself there. You usually think of the place and 'will' yourself there, your chakra automatically following what you want it to do."**_ explained Kyuubi.

"_Again, what does it mean? What difference is it when you say I 'willed' it to happen?" _asked an exasperated Naruto. Kyuubi rolled his eyes at how dense his container could be despite his increase in knowledge.

"_**Simple. Your abilities require 3 things to make it work. You need to focus on what you want to happen, then you visualize what you want to happen, then lastly, 'will' your chakra to let it happen. Try it so we can prove that theory."**_ Kyuubi explained as patiently as he could since he wanted to start the experimentation.

Excited to try it out, Naruto looked around for something he could experiment on. He saw a book on Genjutsu that he discarded earlier and focused on it. He visualized the book floating on top of the desk while focusing his chakra towards the book. His heart started hammering in his chest when the book floated 2 feet of the desk but it wobbled and fell back on the table when he lost his concentration.

"_Wow Kyu. It worked!" _said Naruto excitedly while trying it again, focusing on the book which lifted itself off the desk again to the surprise of his clones.

"Wow boss. How in the world did you do that?" one clone shouted.

"Come on boss. Teach us!" another clone demanded. The library was suddenly alive with the sounds of Naruto clones demanding their creator how he did it until it annoyed Naruto so much that he dispelled all of them which caused him to suffer from a slight migraine due to the sudden influx of memories.

"Ok. That sucks. Mental note: Don't dispel that much clones at once. Ouch. What the hell. One of my clones read some porn in here." he said while massaging his head because of the pain and cursed when a line from a book containing smut entered is memory.

"_**Well, you were getting a headache from their shouting so it's worth it."**_ said Kyuubi in amusement though he was interested in the memory from the clone who was reading the adult material.

"_Shut up Kyu. So what do we do now?"_ asked Naruto while sitting down in one of the chairs to get rid of the throbbing inside his head.

"_**You have two options kit. You continue reading and practicing your new-found skill or you can go back to your apartment and rest. From the looks of it, the ability you just showed took a lot of chakra to perform same with how your teleported for the first time. I think I know how your ability works so I'll come up with a training program for you. I suggest you go home, rest up then we can get started tomorrow."**_

"_Ok, Kyu. That's a good idea."_ said Naruto before teleporting directly to his bed in his apartment to sleep.

* * *

><p>The 2 months before going to the Academy was spent training his new-found skill. He still delegated a dozen clones to go to the library to do research since he didn't know the full extent of his abilities as of yet. He was shocked that night when his clones disappeared with a pop since he didn't think that his clones have the same ability he had.<p>

Kyuubi theorized that since Shadow Clones were technically his exact duplicates, so it is only safe to assume that they have the same abilities as the original, provided that they have enough chakra to pull it off.

This sped up the training program that Kyuubi created for Naruto with the help of his clones.

Everyday for the next 2 months, Naruto and his clones were in the clearing levitating various objects around to keep in practice. Kyuubi told him that it is similar to Telekinesis which they read in one of the books in the library. The fox let Naruto practice it to the point that he can levitate any objects subconsciously and maintaining it as well as making it do things he want it to do. Naruto had so much fun letting rocks of all shapes and sizes float around him. He even went to the point of playing catch with his clones using only Telekinesis which was quite fun except for the destruction it caused to the surrounding.

Kyuubi also told Naruto that his abilities are limited by his imagination when Naruto accidentally created a bed which was an exact duplicate of his lumpy bed back in the apartment when he wanted to take a rest from training. This sparked a revision in the training program so some of the clones were delegated to create random objects out of nothing. One of the clones tried a different tactic and transformed an object into another – from a rock to a chair – which said clone used with a smug look on his face until one of the clones reversed the transformation that caused the clone to hit the ground causing it to dispel.

After the 2 months of training, Naruto had a solid skill set for his abilities. He already got Teleportation down to an art when he was able to do it silently. Kyuubi noticed that Naruto was overcharging the technique with chakra causing the excess to dissipate in the air that resulted to the loud popping sound. Naruto experimented with to the point that he only needed enough chakra to execute the technique.

The next skill he mastered was Creation – to create any non-living objects from nothing. He had fun making new clothes in various designs so he was able fill up his bare closet to the limit, which prompted him to make a bigger one since the original was too small. He noticed that his creations didn't disappear after observing it for a week but Kyuubi told him to keep an eye out on his 'created' clothes just in case. After all, he wouldn't want for his clothes to suddenly disappear on him while walking on the busy streets of Konoha.

Because of this, Naruto's apartment was now a fully-furnished bachelor's pad complete with pristine furniture that was quite comfortable. He scoured the various furniture shops in Konoha under Henge to memorize the designs so he can duplicate it perfectly. His favorite was a four-poster queen size bed complete with soft pillows, sheets, and blanket. Even Kyuubi drooled at sleeping in such luxury.

The last skill he mastered with his current training program was Transformation. Unlike Creation which allowed him to create something out of nothing. Transformation allowed him to turn one thing into another. He had fun with this one since he noticed that he can transform a living being to another living being or to a non-living object. One of his clones turned a harmless rabbit into a very large white tiger that chased them around the woods much to Kyuubi's amusement.

During experimentation, he noticed that the Transformation ability was not permanent since the tiger lasted for an hour before it turned back into a harmless rabbit – who, Naruto noticed, was quite smug at chasing them around. The rabbit's smugness annoyed Naruto so much that he waved his hand at it causing the area where it was standing to explode resulting in a small crater 3 feet in diameter and depth.

Luckily, the rabbit hopped away when Naruto moved his hands, effectively saving it from certain death.

With a large grin on his face, he immediately started making things explode around the clearing much to the envy of his clones. Annoyed at the constant whining that they want to make things explode too, he created another clone then dispelled it causing its current memories to be distributed to the others. More explosions followed causing the clearing to expand in size with lots of felled wood for more practice on Transformation.

Naruto and Kyuubi also noticed that he cannot Transform or Create something that he didn't know about, which was a result of making a plastic kunai. Naruto was aiming for a real kunai but he didn't know metal that well so he accidentally ended up with plastic. (His ramen cups were plastic so he is quite familiar with them)

This caused Naruto to make a dozen clones disguised as civilians to read up on subjects involving chemistry and metals. Kyuubi instructed him to add more clones to their night-time research to raid the Civilian section of the Library for basic information.

Once he got a solid grounding on his abilities, Kyuubi advised Naruto to let the clones practice and discover more of his abilities while he – the original – focus more on physical training. His current weights were now at 50 pounds each, totaling to 200 pounds on his person. His exercise for 2 years yielded great results.

He was now 4'0 which was quite tall for an 8 year old and is devoid of any body fat thanks to his training. He wasn't muscular per se but you could easily see the contour of developing muscles and abs if you look hard enough.

Despite the result of physical training, Naruto complained a lot since it was cutting down on his fun practicing his abilities but he was shot down when Kyuubi told him that his abilities would be useless if his enemies can catch him before he can do anything with it. With that said, Naruto focused on improving his speed and strength, which resulted in further increasing his chakra reserves allowing him to last longer with his abilities.

Also, a major breakthrough is when he finally found a name to his bloodline. It was quite funny really.

One of his clones was hooked into reading a fantasy novel where people have powers over magic that allowed them to do things that he could do in real life. Both he and Kyuubi realized its potential as added fuel for experimentation immediately created a batch of clones to read similar books in the library. The two were salivating at the possibility of throwing fireballs, creating ice attacks, calling down lighting, drowning enemies in torrents of water, and other elemental abilities through the bloodline.

In the end, they decided to call Naruto's ability Chakra Magic thanks to the fantasy books that opened his eyes to more of his potential abilities.

* * *

><p>It was 5 days before the start of the Academy that Naruto was practicing making fire out of his magic. It was a touch and go situation at first when he accidentally created a roaring inferno that almost burned the forest. Thankfully, he was able to get rid of it by levitating water from a nearby stream and making it fall on the burning trees, effectively dousing them before they could spread.<p>

Unfortunately for him, this act didn't go unnoticed.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, was currently resting his weary body from hours of tackling the Kage's Bane – paperwork.<p>

He stood up from his desk and walked towards the window overlooking the Hokage Monument. While he was relaxing his eyes, he noticed smoke rising from the forest behind the mountain and immediately went on alert. He knew that the south side of the mountain was uninhabited so a fire there is an alarming scenario.

He immediately called his personal ANBU – Neko and Inu – and dispatched them to the scene to bring to him whatever caused the fire for questioning.

(Line Break)

Unaware of the coming visitors, Naruto was busy trying to create fire out of nothing. His first experiment allowed him to tone down the amount of chakra he was using to fuel his creation so he started with small bursts to avoid setting a forest fire.

He was a bit successful when he created a marble-sized flame floating in front of him and slowly feeding it with more chakra to increase its size. Slowly, the fireball grew until it became the same size as his head. Grinning, he threw the fireball with a burst of Telekinesis towards a tree, setting the trunk ablaze.

Unknown to him, Neko and Inu was in the trees behind him checking out his abilities.

"What in the world did that kid do?" asked a female voice coming from the Neko.

"Dunno. But whatever he did, it was cool. I didn't notice any seals but I did sense chakra being used to create the jutsu. Wait, there he goes again." said Inu when Naruto tried again, this time, making a fireball the size of his head and throwing it at the same tree which obliterated part of the bark into ash.

With speed that amazed the two ANBU, a grinning Naruto created 5 fireballs of the same size around him, floating in mid-air, and flung his right arm out pointing towards the tree. As if on command, the 5 fireballs sped through the air and struck the same spot, causing the bark to explode and the tree to fall into the forest. Deciding that it was enough demonstration, Neko and Inu jumped down from the tree behind Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the Hokage would like to see you in his office right away." said Inu. Naruto immediately turned around looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Uhhh…uhhh…what?" Naruto stuttered out since he was caught red-handed with his abilities.

"Hokage-sama saw the smoke coming out of the forest behind the Hokage Monument and asked us to investigate and to bring to him who caused it. We saw you demonstrating your 'abilities' so it is only reasonable that you were the one who caused it." said Neku.

"_Kyuubi, what should I do?"_ Naruto mentally shouted to his tenant.

"_**There's nothing we can do kit. You're caught red-handed. It's not like we can modify their memories or something so it's best if you come clean and tell your jiji about it."**_ said Kyuubi, not fazed in the slightest since he already predicted this would happen. He just didn't expect it to happen sooner than later.

"_But…"_ trying to come up with a decent excuse to hide his abilities but he came up with nothing_. "Alright. Besides, I trust Hokage-jiji anyway so maybe he can help me with it."_ He looked at the ANBU in front of him and gave them a foxy grin. "Is jiji in his office right now?" he asked them. Inu chuckled at the boy calling the Hokage such an informal name.

"Yes Naruto, he is in his office right now. We best get going since it's a long way to the Hokage Tower from here." said Neko. Naruto grinned.

"Ok, Neko-chan. See you there then." With that, Naruto disappeared from the clearing without a sound which caused the two ANBU to drop their jaw in amazement.

* * *

><p>Naruto silently appeared in the Hokage's Office and noticed that his jiji was currently looking out the window facing the Hokage Monument.<p>

"Hey jiji. You called for me?" he asked the Hokage who was startled at not sensing Naruto enter his office.

"Naruto! How did you enter the office since I didn't even sense you open the door." asked the Hokage. "Besides, why are you here anyway?"

Naruto gave him a long look.

"Well, you had your two ANBU call for me while I was practicing in my clearing behind the Hokage Monument so I'm here." he deadpanned.

"You mean the smoke coming out of the forest was you?" the Hokage asked in curiosity.

Naruto nodded happily. "Yep. I was practicing with my bloodline since I discovered it 2 years ago."

"Naruto, you don't have a bloodline." said the Hokage giving Naruto a long look.

"Of course I do." He said as if insulted. To demonstrate, he waved his hand towards the Hokage that caused the Hokage Robes to turn into a pink bunny outfit. "See? That's my bloodline." He grinned at the sight of the powerful Hokage in a bunny costume.

The Hokage was about to say something when Inu and Neko appeared in the room panting. "Hokage-sama! Naruto disa…huh?"

Inu and Neko were treated to a sight that would last them till the day they die. In front of them was the Hokage wearing a pink bunny costume with a smirking Naruto in front of him. Both fell to the floor rolling in laughter.

"Oh…my…god….make…it….stop." Neko said in between bouts of laughter while Inu wasn't capable of speech as he rolled on the floor laughing his head off.

Blushing in embarrassment, Sarutobi released a bit of his Killer Intent which caused both ANBU to freeze, successfully stopping their bouts of laughter. He looked at his grinning surrogate grandson with a look that said 'do something about this or else'.

Smiling sheepishly, Naruto waved his hand again towards the Hokage to reverse the transformation, putting his Hokage Robes back to its original state which caused the leader of Konoha to sigh in relief.

"Naruto sit down. Inu, Neko, report." Demanded Sarutobi towards his now composed ANBU though his eye twitched a bit when Inu released a snort of laughter which he immediately hid behind a cough.

"Hokage-sama. As you commanded, we immediately went to the location of the smoke and discovered Naruto-san displaying abilities that baffled both me and Neko. He was creating fire out of nothing but his chakra. No seals at all. He created fireballs out of nothing and practically obliterated a tree with ease. From the burns in the clearing, I would say that it was he who caused the fire earlier that resulted in the smoke." Inu formally reported his findings.

"Also, Naruto-kun disappeared when I told him that you were in the tower waiting for him. It wasn't the Shunshin or any speed technique we knew about. He just disappeared. We immediately ran back as fast as we could to see if he really went to you as requested." finished Neko which caused the Hokage to nod.

"Good work you two. Now leave us. I want to speak to Naruto-kun alone." He commanded his personal ANBU who left without a word. He immediately put up a Privacy Barrier to make sure that they were not interrupted. He sat on his chair and looked at his surrogate grandson who was grinning at him. "So Naruto-kun, anything you want to tell me about this bloodline of yours."

Naruto nodded since he and Kyuubi already decided to come clean as they were already discovered.

"It's a long story jiji so make sure that you have a lot of time for this." said Naruto.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun. With you, I always make time." the Hokage replied with a smile causing Naruto to return it.

"Ok jiji, it all started when I ran from a mob after I pranked someone 2 years ago. I accidentally hit my head which caused me to pass out. That was when I met Kyu." Naruto started his story.

"Kyu?"

"Kyuubi. I met him when I accidentally entered my mindscape when I passed out."

"WHAT! You met the Kyuubi? Don't be fooled by him Naruto." warned the Hokage since he planned to tell Naruto about his tenant when he graduates from the Academy. This plan was obviously out of whack.

"You have nothing to worry about jiji. In fact, he is telling me to ask you if you want to talk to him since he has a lot of explaining to do."

"Wait a minute Naruto. What do you mean Kyuubi wants to talk to me? How can he do that since he is stuck inside the seal."

"I think it would be best if he explained it to you since I don't know the technicalities of it." said Naruto. Sarutobi was about to stop him but it was too late. Naruto's eyes glazed over then his usual blue were replaced with red with slit-like pupils. **"Greetings Hokage." **Naruto's voice was replaced by a deep baritone that indicated that Kyuubi is in control.

"K-Kyuubi….how can you control Naruto. The seal was supposed to be designed to make sure that you can't do such a thing." gasped the Hokage. Kyuubi-Naruto just rolled his eyes.

"**Do relax Hokage-sama. I can't do this without Naruto's explicit permission. This is part of the deal we made when we met 2 years ago."** explained Kyuubi, making himself comfortable on the chair.

"Deal? What deal?"

"**After explaining to the kit what happened when I attacked the village and getting sealed inside him. We made a deal that could benefit the both of us. The deal is quite simple since there is no way for me to escape the seal since the Shinigami made sure to tie both our souls together; so if Naruto dies, I die. If I escape, we both die. Not something I really want to happen."** said Kyuubi with a frown.

"So you mean to say that Naruto is currently inside his mind right now with complete control over his body?"

"**Yes. Right now, he is on a very comfortable chair facing a large monitor in front of him that acts as a reflection of his eyes so that I can see the outside world through him. He is laughing at you at the moment."**

Sarutobi sweatdropped at his surrogate grandson's antics. Only the boy would find it funny when he is terrified out of his wits in facing the strongest Bijuu in person. "Fine. So Naruto can just take control back if he wanted to?"

"**Yep. He can but he is telling me right now to explain everything to you. Lazy brat."** growled the fox which caused Naruto to laugh harder in the mindscape. **"Shut up brat. Don't make me go in there and bite you."**

Getting back his composure. Sarutobi relaxed since he knew that Naruto wouldn't let Kyuubi harm him in anyway. "So, what do you want to tell me?"

"**First, I want to tell you what happened when I attacked Konoha. I didn't start the attack. I was forced to attack to be honest."**

"I find that hard to believe Kyuubi." said Sarutobi giving the fox-possessed boy a disbelieving look.

"**Then let me ask you this oh wise one. Out of all the history of Konoha, how many times did I attack on my own free will?"**

"Well…"

"**None. My first appearance in Konoha was during the battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. Trust me, that wasn't my doing. I was summoned by that damned Uchiha and controlled me with his evolved Sharingan causing me to attack the Shodai Hokage in the Valley of the End. That caused me to be sealed inside his wife, Uzumaki Mito, the very first Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune…me. Before she died, I was transferred to another Uzumaki by the name of Kushina which was the wife of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato." **this caused Naruto to become shocked at the revelation.

"Kyuubi. Are you telling me that the Yondaime Hokage sealed me inside you? And he was my dad? Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto growled, temporarily getting control of his body and blurting it out loud without him meaning to which caused the Sandaime to pale.

"**Damn it kit. Shut up for a second will you. I have a reason why I didn't tell you about it at first and I will explain it properly to the Hokage, so shut up and calm down."** Kyuubi growled back which surprised the Hokage since it solidified the belief that Naruto can take back the control of his body anytime he deemed it necessary.

Deciding to nip this in the bud before the two destroys the tower considering the energy Naruto was releasing because of his bout of anger.

"Naruto-kun. Please let Kyuubi finish his explanation. You will be told everything so please, let Kyuubi finish." pleaded Sarutobi, hoping to reason with his surrogate grandson.

"Fine old man but I want to be told EVERYTHING." Naruto growled which caused Sarutobi to nod. Naruto blue eyes immediately turned to red signifying that Kyuubi was back in control.

"**Damn. The kit sure is angry right now. So, where was I?" **asked Kyuubi which almost caused the Hokage to palm his face in annoyance.

"You were telling me that you were sealed into the Yondaime's wife." he supplied helpfully causing the Kyuubi to nod.

"**Thanks. Let me see. Kushina was a great container to say the least. We have similar conversations like what me and Naruto is doing right now but it was a bit muted since the seal was quite different. Anyway, during Kushina's pregnancy, the seal was weakened since most of Kushina's power was focused on childbirth. If I remember it when I was inside, you and the Yondaime was powering the seal to keep me inside, correct?" **this got a nod from Sarutobi.** "When Naruto was born, you left afterwards so you didn't witness Uchiha Madara attack Kushina with the Yondaime not being able to do anything since he was using Naruto as a shield. With his power, he yanked me out of the seal that caused me to reappear outside Konoha. While I was disoriented from the release, Madara placed a powerful genjutsu on me that caused me to go on a rampage…again. I think you already know what happened afterwards, I was sealed again into Naruto. But this time, the seal was more powerful and more complex due to the Shinigami's interference. The seal tied Naruto and my soul together to form a bond. I can't do anything to Naruto without his express condition and he can use my chakra at will. However, my chakra has a negative effect on humans due to incompatibility. Using too much of my power before he is ready will cause him to go berserk."**

"I see. A lot of things questions came to light with your explanation. Now tell me this 'deal' that you made with Naruto-kun."

"**The deal is simple. By giving me access to the outside world through his senses, I will allow him safe control over my chakra, controlling it from the inside so he won't go berserk and limiting it to what he can handle though I doubt he would need it considering the abilities he have because of his bloodline. Anyway, the deal allows me to see, feel, hear, and smell the outside world through Naruto; and in turn, I will teach him what I know so he will become a formidable shinobi in the future."**

"Interesting. Both parties benefits equally from the deal to the most of their abilities. Now tell me, from Naruto-kun's outburst earlier, why you didn't tell him about his parents?" he asked curiously, wanting to know the demon's reason on the matter.

"**Simple. Naruto wasn't ready to deal with it yet. Shut up Naruto let me finish. Anyway, If I tell him about his parents 2 years ago then he will be sure to shout or blurt it out needlessly since he wasn't mentally and emotionally ready back then. From what I experienced from Kushina, I understand that the Yondaime made a lot of enemies, especially Iwa and Kumo. If they find out through their spies or rumors that the son of the Yondaime is alive then Naruto would be swamped with assassination attempts. I can easily heal his injuries but even my powers cannot protect him from death."**

"I see. It is similar to my reasons for hiding things from you Naruto-kun. I created a law after the sealing, an S-class secret that results in death if not followed, that everyone is not allowed to mention that you are the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi to the younger generation to give you some chance to make friends. I know the old generation would never look at you as a normal citizen of Konoha so I made that law to ensure that the younger generation will grant you a chance to make bonds of friendship and trust. As an added insurance to ensure your safety, I withheld the information regarding your parentage to protect you from your father and mother's enemies."

The room was silent as Naruto, who was currently in his mindscape, digested the information revealed to him. He grudgingly agreed with Kyuubi and his jiji's reasoning in keeping it a secret. If his mind wasn't properly trained through the research, studies, and meditation that he experienced for the past 2 years then he was sure that he wouldn't have the necessary maturity to keep the secret for his safety. He took control of his body which was quite obvious when his eyes turned back to its shade of blue. He took in a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked at his surrogate grandfather with a smile.

"No sweat jiji. Thanks for making me understand. You and Kyuubi were right. I wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret and that would have compromised my safety. So thank you again." said Naruto in a soft voice but the Hokage was able to discern the sincerity behind the blonde's declaration.

"No problem Naruto-kun. I always have your best intention at heart despite the fact that some of my decisions have hurt you in the past. Now, please tell me how you made me the laughing stock in front of my ANBU bodyguards." He said this with a glint in his eyes that made Naruto and Kyuubi gulp.

* * *

><p><strong>First chapter done. Anyway, the latest chapter of Golden Wolf of Konoha is currently at 50%. I'm having some problems in trying to make the Wave Arc a bit original from canon but my muses aren't cooperating with me at the moment. So while I'm coming up with a reasonable and fun plot for it, I'll continue with the 2nd chapter of Konoha Wizard since I already have 3 pages worth of notes for the plot. <strong>

**Please review/comment/flame if you like this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

Here is another chapter of Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard. Before we get to the story, there are some reviews that I would like to address.

For starters, many of you would see similarities with other works, especially mangas and animes, to this fic because I got my ideas from them. I know that it's not original but there is nothing wrong with using them as an idea to come up with your own story. Besides, almost all stories out there are similar one way or the other, especially in terms of magic, so there. Another point is that I'm not making money out of this fic so there's nothing wrong with using ideas that aren't my own. Besides, its a credit to those who originally thought of them in the first place. So give credit where credit is due.

**ANBU commander silverwing:** Sorry my friend, I'm not familiar with Dresden Files so I can't incorporate the ideas into this fic. Though there is no stopping you from giving me ideas on their abilities though *wink wink*

**Ccebling:** I don't want to make Naruto too powerful in this fic. I will be using some of the ideas you gave me, especially on abilities and weapons. Keep reading, you will see some of them in there.

**BlackButterfly1993:** Thank you for your support. In fact, your review encourage my muse to cooperate with me. *hint to the rest of the readers*

Well, that's it for my rant so have fun reading Chapter 02 of Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto. Any abilities and weapons he displayed on my fic that are similar to other literary and anime works are purely to the credit of their creator. I'm just borrowing their ideas so give credit where credit is due.

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><p><strong>Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<strong>

**Chapter 02**

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><p><em>Previously on Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<em>

_The room was silent as Naruto, who was currently in his mindscape, digested the information revealed to him. He grudgingly agreed with Kyuubi and his jiji's reasoning in keeping it a secret. If his mind wasn't properly trained through the research, studies, and meditation that he experienced for the past 2 years then he was sure that he wouldn't have the necessary maturity to keep the secret for his safety. He took control of his body which was quite obvious when his eyes turned back to its shade of blue. He took in a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked at his surrogate grandfather with a smile._

_"No sweat jiji. Thanks for making me understand. You and Kyuubi were right. I wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret and that would have compromised my safety. So thank you again." said Naruto in a soft voice but the Hokage was able to discern the sincerity behind the blonde's declaration._

_"No problem Naruto-kun. I always have your best intention at heart despite the fact that some of my decisions have hurt you in the past. Now, please tell me how you made me the laughing stock in front of my ANBU bodyguards." He said this with a glint in his eyes that made Naruto and Kyuubi gulp._

* * *

><p>"Uhhhh…it's my…bloodline?" stuttered Naruto while cursing his tenant since the fox went back into the seal to protect itself from the coming interrogation. <em>"Traitor!"<em> he growled to his tenant.

"_**It's every fox for himself, kit. Good luck!"**_ said Kyuubi in a serene voice before cutting off the mental link between the two. The silence in his mindscape told him that the fox was deep inside his mind, inaccessible at the moment. He cursed some more.

Unaware of the internal dialogue going on between the bijuu and its container, Sarutobi pinned Naruto to his seat with a piercing glare. "I know it's a bloodline, Naruto-kun. You made that fact perfectly…clear when you turned my robes into a…pink rabbit. What I want to know is how you did it?" he asked in an ominous tone that made blonde shiver in fear.

"Uhh jiji. Have you ever heard of magic?" asked a very nervous Naruto. Sarutobi looked at the boy as if he was crazy but answered all the same.

"No Naruto-kun. There is no such thing as magic. Magic is in the realm of fantasy, not reality." stated the Hokage as if talking to a child.

"Well, the best way to explain is to start at the beginning…"

Naruto explained the incident where he discovered how to teleport and his discussion with Kyuubi regarding the unique addition to his regular chakra. He explained that Kyuubi theorized that his chakra allowed him to actually bend reality to his will – allowing him to do feats that ordinary shinobi doesn't. He outlined the nighttime research in the Konoha Library which surprised the Hokage since there were no reports of intrusions for the past 2 years.

The blonde also described how he was able to call a book out of nowhere despite the fact that he didn't know where it was. After discovering the 'key' to his ability thanks to Kyuubi, he started a training program with his tenant's guidance to discover the extent of his bloodline and to discover new ways to harness it.

Lastly, Naruto explained to the Hokage that his ability seems to be similar to how magicians, wizards, mages, and sorcerers practice their abilities in fantasy books so he decided to emulate them. He was quite excited telling the Hokage the name of his unique bloodline limit – Chakra Magic – which caused the old leader to sweatdrop at the childish decision.

Sarutobi started rubbing his temples in exasperation, feeling a migraine coming due to Naruto's explanation of his abilities which he found to be quite impossible.

"So let me get this straight Naruto. You can teleport anywhere as long as you've been there before. You can move objects using your mind alone. You can create things out of nothing. You can transform things into living things, like the white tiger you created in the forest that chased you around. And finally, you can perform elemental attacks without the need of seals. Oh, not to forget that Kyuubi taught you Kage Bunshin since he already learned it from Mito-sama. Did I leave anything out?"

Naruto shook his head in negative.

"You got it right jiji though I'm quite sure that there is more to my bloodline since Kyuubi told me that my limit is my own imagination." said Naruto, confirming everything the Hokage listed down as a partial list of his abilities. Said Hokage, however, was eyeing Naruto with a look that clearly said that he didn't believe that the boy was capable of all those things. "You don't believe me do you?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. The Hokage shook his head.

"I find it unbelievable Naruto-kun. Powers like that don't exist. New bloodlines don't just appear out of the blue." said Sarutobi in a solemn voice.

Naruto didn't say anything but just gave the Hokage a grin that sent shivers down his old spine. "Are you sure jiji?" he asked while rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Despite his better judgment, Sarutobi answered in a way that doomed him. "Yes. I'm sure that you're just making things up."

Naruto immediately teleported from the chair to appear just in front of the door, making sure that the old Hokage won't be able to escape his demonstration. "Ok jiji. Since you put it that way then I don't have any choice in the matter. I have to demonstrate the capabilities of Konoha's Wizard in action." He declared in a loud voice waving one hand over to the window changing it into jail bars to stop any forms of escape. Gathering chakra for his grand performance, he visualized what he wanted to happen then released all of it in one fell swoop.

The Hokage's robes turned into the pink bunny costume, this time with rainbow patterns on it.

The desk turned into a white tiger with black stripes, growling at the old man.

The paperworks that the Hokage signed transformed into different kinds of birds, flapping around the room making a mess of thing.

The Hokage's chair became a Manager's Chair; and as an added effect, he turned the paperweight into a busty blonde with oversized assets giving the old man a massage that caused him to blush.

And finally, Naruto waved his hand all over the room turning the Hokage office into a children's playground. Naruto then turned to the stunned and blushing Hokage.

"So…what do you think jiji? Convinced?" as an added effect, he conjured five balls of fire orbiting around his body, looking threatening.

Sarutobi was stunned at the drastic change to his office. He flared his chakra then released it in a wave to disrupt the illusion. Unfortunately for him, everything was real so nothing happened.

"What the…? These are all real?" stuttered Sarutobi. Naruto grinned.

"That's right jiji. All of these are real. So do you believe me now?"

Sarutobi slumped back to his chair, secretly enjoying the ministrations of the blonde girl behind him. "Fine. You win, Naruto-kun. I acknowledge the existence of your…Chakra Magic. Now please turn my office back to the way it was before." he requested in a defeated, yet wispy voice since the massage was doing wonders for his aching muscles.

Naruto nodded and waved his hand around the room, reversing the changes. This made the Hokage groan since he was enjoying the chair and the massage.

"So jiji. What do you think?" asked Naruto who sat himself back on the chair with a large grin on his face. Sarutobi gave Naruto a speculative look.

"What are your plans, Naruto-kun? You'll be attending the Academy in 5 days." asked the Hokage. "You're not thinking of quitting, aren't you?"

Naruto shook his head in negative while giving the old man an incredulous look.

"No! I still plan to be a ninja so I'll be attending class. You already have my admittance papers right? I was planning on visiting you a day before classes start to finalize things." replied Naruto.

This got a nod from Sarutobi before carefully leafing through the piles of paperwork on his desk before pulling one out and handing it to the blonde who happily accepted the document.

"That's your admittance form to the Shinobi Academy. You just need to hand that to your teacher when you attend your first class. It's in room 201. You can't miss it." he instructed. Naruto was about to leave the room but Sarutobi stopped him with a raised hand.

"Before you leave, there are few things we need to discuss concerning your bloodline. As mandated in the Konoha Charter, those possessing a bloodline are automatically eligible for clan head status. I'm sorry to say that it is required that I register your abilities."

This caused Naruto to frown. He had no intentions to reveal his abilities…yet.

"Hmmmm. Can you give me a few days to think things through jiji? I want to discuss it with Kyuubi first since I'm not sure that I have mastered all of my abilities yet. I mean, it won't be a good idea to reveal my bloodline when we don't know everything about it, right?" asked Naruto to the Hokage who nodded in affirmative since it was a good idea.

"That is a good idea, Naruto-kun. There is no rush since only I know the extent of your bloodline and I'm sure Neko and Inu won't be telling anyone about it without my explicit permission. Just make sure you tell me your decision so I can prepare the necessary paperwork. Regarding your clan head status, you are still a minor until you graduate from the Academy so there is no rush there." stated the Hokage. "Clan Heads require you to be of Chunnin rank so that's still years away."

Naruto nodded. "Sure thing jiji. Well, is there anything else before I leave? I really need to get back to training since I won't have enough time when I attend the Academy next week." he asked, itching to go back to the clearing since he needed to hone his control over the elements with Kyuubi.

Sarutobi looked apprehensive regarding his request but he couldn't deny that he needed it. No! He wanted it.

"Ummmm…can you change my chair back? I mean, it's really comfortable." said the aged leader with as much dignity as he could though there was a slight whine to his voice.

Naruto just laughed and waved his hand, changing the Hokage's wooden chair back into a Manager's Chair though he added another feature that he read in one of the catalogues when he visited the furniture shop in the Merchant's District.

"There." the boy said happily. "Just so you know, I added a massage feature to the chair so all you need to do is to apply chakra to it then it will give you a nice massage. Bye jiji." he finished cheerfully before teleporting out of the room leaving a very happy Hokage behind who later frowned when he remembered something.

"Damn, I should have asked him to bring the girl back. Oh well. You can't have everything I guess." he mused while enjoying the chair's vibration as it loosened the aching muscles on his back.

Life just got interesting for him.

* * *

><p>Naruto immediately engaged a conversation with Kyuubi upon arriving in his clearing.<p>

"_So what do you think Kyu?"_ Naruto asked his tenant.

"_**With what? The clan head thing?"**_ Kyuubi asked since he was listening to his container's conversation with his surrogate grandfather.

"_Not really. I'm not that interested in the Clan Head status since I'm still too young to think about that. However, I'm more concerned about having to reveal my bloodline to everyone. I'm not sure how people will take it. After all, I'm not really that popular in the village so telling them I have these abilities might not be well received by the public." _stated Naruto with a frown on his face.

"_**There's nothing we can do about that kit. Maybe we can make a deal with the Hokage to keep it a secret UNTIL you graduate from the Academy." **_said Kyuubi. _**"Speaking of Academy, what are you planning to do with your training schedule? Since you will be spending most of the day in school, you won't have time to explore your abilities."**_

"_I'm not really sure Kyu. I mean I'm really excited in attending the Academy but I also want to explore my abilities more. I'm pretty sure that what I can do now is only the tip of the iceberg so to speak."_

"_**True. To be honest, I already came up with a plan but it might drain you for a few hours before you're up for training again."**_

"_What do you have in mind?"_ asked Naruto, interested in what the bijuu got in store for him. Since the two years, Naruto gained a healthy respect of the Kyuubi's help and put great pains to listen to its advice.

"_**We can always send a reinforced Kage Bunshin to the Academy. But this time, you'll be adding a bit of my chakra into it to make sure it won't get dispelled easily. Besides, I can teach you what you'll be learning in the Academy anyway so you're just going to attend for the sake of graduating since there's no way for you to join the shinobi ranks without their recommendation."**_

"_That is a good idea, Kyu. But don't you think we should run this by jiji? I mean he should know right?"_

"_**You think he wouldn't find out? If I know that old man very well, and I do, he will be keeping an eye on you since your abilities are quite unique."**_ explained the fox.

"_You do have a point there. So let's stick with that plan then."_ declared Naruto before creating clones to practice more of his Chakra Magic.

* * *

><p>Despite their original plan, Naruto decided to attend the first day of the Academy on his own instead of sending a clone in his place.<p>

He woke up early on the first day of the Academy and created a clone to make breakfast before hitting the showers. He didn't bother to wear anything fancy since there is really no point in impressing his instructors, he wore a simple dark blue shirt and black cargo pants. He didn't bother to bring anything else since he can create anything if he need to.

After a delicious breakfast of eggs, bread, and milk since Kyuubi hammered it down his throat that eating ONLY ramen wasn't a good idea. At first, Naruto refused to follow orders but immediately releneted when the fox told him that he was short because he didn't get enough nutrients to promote growth. His chakra can only do so much to support him after all.

Noticing that he still have an hour before the Academy starts, Naruto decided to go there early so he can pick good seats, as well as observing his classmates before classes starts. He teleported out of his apartment to an alley a block away from school and walked the rest of the way.

He arrived at the Shinobi Academy and noticed that no one was there. He guessed that he was too early, he decided to go search for his designated classroom and wait it out. It didn't take him long to find room 201 since it was the first room on the second floor of the building. He opened the door to reveal a shinobi on the desk reading some documents. The shinobi was a Chunnin judging from his vest. His haircut made him look like a dolphin but the scar on his face made him look cool.

"Good morning. I'm here for the first day of class." greeted Naruto as he handed his admittance form to the ninja. The Chunnin smiled at how early the boy was.

"Early aren't you? Let me see…Uzumaki Naruto. First time in the Academy. Good. My name is Umino Iruka, I will be your instructor for the rest of the 5 years you will be attending the Academy so you should start calling me Iruka-sensei from now on. Why don't you grab a chair and relax. Classes won't start for an hour still." said the now introduced Iruka.

Naruto nodded and looked around the room. He decided to sit at the very top so he can observe those coming in.

It didn't take long for the new students to arrive, one by one entering the classroom choosing seats for their own. Most of them were quite average.

"_Not really that interesting, aren't they?"_ Naruto said to his tenant.

"_**Meh. What do you expect? They're still kids. Give them a few years to change…if they change that is."**_ said Kyuubi with a tired yawn.

"_Sleepy again? Lazy fox."_ said Naruto in amusement. This caused the fox to growl in irritation.

"_**I didn't sleep much last night, damn it. I was busy filtering through the memories from your clones. They read a few interesting books that we can try out with your bloodline if it works. If not then we can think of something else?"**_ said Kyuubi, releasing another loud yawn that echoed throughout the mindscape. This caused Naruto to sweatdrop.

"_So what did you find out? Anything interesting?"_ asked Naruto, excited at what his clones read in the library. He didn't get the memory first-hand because Kyuubi made sure that the influx of information is sorted by him first before releasing to Naruto's own. This method is quite useful especially when dispelling large number of clones that could cause a painful migraine or put his container in a coma.

"_**Nothing much to be honest but some of the things they read gave me some ideas that you can incorporate into your fighting style. There was this one clone who read a manga about an assassin with a gun. Maybe we can reverse engineer that so you can have your own. But instead of bullets, we can modify it to utilize chakra instead."**_ said Kyuubi who was quite interested in the range weapon. _**"Another clone read a book about a kid using 'spells' to do stuff that isn't normally possible but the way the main character did things with a magic stick could be quite useful though yours could be better since you don't need a medium for your abilities to work. Here, let me send you the information so you can check it out on your own. I need a nap."**_

Naruto waited as the information filtered through his brain. To be honest, it was quite a lot so he was thankful for Kyuubi to give it to him in bits and pieces instead of getting them all in one go. If he did then he wasn't sure if his brain could survive the information overload.

Naruto pretended to be asleep as he sorted through the information so he won't be disturbed. It seems that his clones expanded their reading repertoire to include comics called manga. The one with the gun came from a manga called Black Cat – a powerful assassin who carried an indestructible gun and have impeccable aim. The other one was a fantasy book called Harry Potter. It was quite interesting to say the least since the abilities demonstrated by the characters were similar to his own though the ones in the book have to use something called a 'wand' just to do the things they do. It was quite weird really but the idea of 'spells' was very interesting though he could forego the words just to make them work.

Another interesting manga that his clone read was about people who utilize their life energy to do amazing feats. From the looks of it, people called Hunters utilize Nen to augment their bodies or to create desired effects like creating chains connected to their bodies to attack and defend. He found this restricting but the idea of reinforcing their bodies with Nen to increase their speed and strength was something to look into. He placed his hand inside his pocket and created a piece of paper and a pen to avoid displaying his abilities to his classmates. He brought it out and started writing so he could incorporate it into his training.

_Things to try out:_

_- try to create a gun, or maybe two, and find ways to make use of 'chakra bullets' instead of regular ones. _

_- try making 'spells' if possible_

_- use Chakra Magic to enhance his body for attacking and defense_

Naruto placed the tip of his pen into his mouth and adopted a thoughtful expression, coming up with new ideas to try out. He noticed that the room was almost full so he decided to pay attention for now. He folded the paper and placed it back into his pocket along with his created pen. He planned to go over it with Kyuubi later to see if it was possible.

* * *

><p>School ended that afternoon and Naruto could be happier. He expected a lot of things to happen in school, like Iruka-sensei teaching them about shinobi stuff but he could believe how the teacher droned on and on about history in monotone. It was maddening. He decided there and then to send a reinforced Kage Bunshin instead of doing it on his own. He would rather spend time training than sitting for 8 hours being bored to death. His annoyance was picked up by his tenant.<p>

"_**What got you in a foul mood?" **_asked Kyuubi in a groggy voice. It seems that the lazy fox just woke up. This made Naruto's eye twitch.

"_Where have you been baka fox! I was trying to talk to you for the whole day?" _spat Naruto in his mind while throwing another fireball at a tree, scorching the bark. Kyuubi just shrugged which caused Naruto's eye to twitch again and another fireball to fly from his outstretched hand.

"_**I was asleep, idiot. Why don't you try staying up all night sorting through information non-stop. Anyway, I shut of the connection between us since I really need to sleep so stop your cursing and tell me what got your boxers in a twist."**_

"_You'd be cursing too if you have to spend 8 hours attending a boring class with a boring teacher with an endless boring dialogue of boring Konoha history." _Naruto spat, punctuating his annoyance by throwing a fireball on an innocent tree every time he said 'boring'.

"_**Well, thankfully I'm not the one attending school now am I? He he he."**_ said very smug bijuu.

"_I really hate you, you know that right?"_ deadpanned an irate Naruto.

"_**I do."**_ came the smug reply.

* * *

><p><em><strong>=Naruto Age: 9; First Academy Year=<strong>_

The first year in the Shinobi Academy was quite boring for Naruto, or in this case, his clone who suffered all through the year of boring lectures though there were some good things that happened to make it more bearable.

For starters, he found out that his class contained the clan heirs of his generation and got to know some of them to the point that he called them friends.

His first friend was Nara Shikamaru, and by extension, Akimichi Chouji.

For Naruto, Shikamaru was a lazy genius who loves to sleep during class and watch the clouds outside for hours without getting bored. But behind the lazy exterior is a mind of a genius, especially when they play Shogi. Naruto haven't won yet, not even once though the blonde took that as a challenge and vowed to the lazy Nara that he will beat him someday. All he got from the genius was a lazy 'troublesome blonde'.

Through Shikamaru, he met Akimichi Chouji, a chubby boy who loves to eat; however, he was warned by Shikamaru that it was taboo to call him fat or chubby unless he wanted to get pounded into the ground.

All in all, Naruto had fun hanging out with Chouji especially when the Nara is feeling lazy. They spend a lot of time talking though eating was a common past time between the two of them. Ichiraku Ramen became a favorite hangout for the pair when the Nara isn't available.

Another friend he met in the Academy was Inuzuka Kiba, the loudmouthed boy of the Dog Clan, along with his pet/partner Akamaru. In most cases, Kiba became Naruto's partner in pranks with Iruka as their main target.

He also tried to make friends with the current Hyuuga Heir, Hinata but couldn't get a few words out of her since she would blush a bright red then faint when greeted. This confused Naruto and a snickering Kyuubi wouldn't tell him why the girl always faint when he's around. Despite her shy nature, Hinata hanged out with them but didn't speak much which was quite alright with Naruto who inwardly vowed to raise Hinata's confidence in the future.

There were other clan heirs in class but Naruto didn't bother to befriend them for one reason or the other.

First, there was the lone Uchiha survivor, Sasuke. He usually spends a lot of time brooding, surrounded by his ever-present fangirls whose squeals and empty platitudes grated on the blonde's nerves – among the two of them being the blonde-haired Yamanaka Ino and the pink-haired Haruno Sakura. He didn't bother to befriend them since they would always berate him for interrupted their 'Sasuke time' every time he spared them a 'Good Morning'. He decided to leave them alone after the third try.

While in the Academy, Naruto decided to hide his abilities after being prompted by Kyuubi. He was warned to control his bloodline to avoid showing people what he's capable off. In that sense, Naruto performed only enough to land him an average grade which suited him just fine since Kyuubi beat the show-off side of him out of his system years ago.

However, not all the time his clone spent in the Academy was all dandy. The lessons were alright but he honestly believed that he could learn more on his own or under the tutelage of his tenant which was a good idea since he noticed some Academy instructors trying to disrupt his education.

He liked Iruka who goes out of his way to help ALL students but his partner, Mizuki, seemed to hate Naruto with a passion judging from the glares he keeps throwing at the blonde. When Iruka wasn't around, Mizuki would go out of his way to disrupt his education…much to Naruto's amusement.

Placing a genjutsu on his test papers which was easily dispelled since his reading taught him how to dispel small-scale illusions with ease. Besides, Kyuubi informed him that he was technically immune to genjutsus since he has 2 minds inside his body with Kyuubi being one of them.

Giving him weighted shurikens and kunais during weapons training but Naruto countered this easily by making his own, replacing the ones Mizuki let him use while the instructor's back was turned;

And of course, sabotaging his Taijutsu by teaching him the wrong moves but he didn't bother to call him out since he already knew the Academy Taijutsu style by heart so he just played along.

Training, however, was quite fruitful for the blonde.

Naruto decided to continue his training following the Academy lessons as a guide. Instead of the Academy Taijutsu, he opted for Tai Chi since the flowing moves suited him quite well. Ninjutsu was relatively ignored due to his bloodline but he did learn Kawarimi no Jutsu (Substitution Technique) since it could get him out in a pinch if necessary. Of course, the Bunshin no Jutsu (Cloning Technique) is replaced by Shadow Clones so no worries there. He also vowed to try to learn other supplementary jutsus instead of overspecializing on his natural abilities.

When the Academy Taijutsu style was introduced in class, Naruto took some time off from his busy schedule to check out the various styles available in the Konoha Library. He found Tai Chi amongst the dusty tomes in the Taijutsu section and was amazed that such a powerful style was forgotten by the shinobi populace. He read from the scroll that Tai Chi was supposed to be a form of relaxing exercise using flowing moves in synch with your breathing. However, the scroll mentioned that these moves can be used as a devastating dance of defense and offense when practiced to perfection. He immediately dived into the katas with gusto.

Along with his Taijutsu training, Naruto didn't forget to continue his physical workout. His weight was now at 70 pounds each that totaled to 280 pounds. He decided to take it slow since he still have 4 more years to get used to it though he decided to continue wearing weights while doing missions to further improve his strength.

According to Maito Gai's training regimen, he will be able to utilize up to 4000 pounds of weights easily in a few years but he didn't want to turn bulky. His style is more on speed and agility anyways so this was no loss but improving his strength slightly didn't hurt.

Of course, Naruto and Kyuubi spent a lot of time practicing with his bloodline to discover various techniques that would be quite useful in the future. Thanks to his physical training regimen, his reserves increased by a large margin making sure that he can throw his 'spells' without having to worry about getting drained on the field. Kyuubi suggested that he might want to utilize his chakra since it was more powerful than a human but they decided to postpone that since it could be hazardous instead of beneficial.

In terms of training his bloodline, Naruto delegated his clones with a list of abilities he wanted them to try out while he himself focused on Taijutsu and Seals. Speaking of which, Naruto was able to finish all the books on the Namikaze set but didn't put them into practice as of yet. According to the book, memorizing already discovered Seals is never a work of a master but more of a copycat. So Naruto spent most of his time dissecting the Seals and learning each part that made up the whole thing so he can come up with new ones on his own.

Right now, his work on seals concentrated more on his plans of incorporating range weapons into his armory, two guns with similar designs to the protagonist of Black Cat. Instead of bullets and gunpowder, Kyuubi theorized that Naruto can utilize seals to let the gun absorb his already potent chakra; with another set of seals to mold it into a solid construct resembling a bullet; and another seal to launch it.

So far, Naruto is still in the planning phase since he is still an amateur on sealing.

In regards to his bloodline, Naruto already mastered Creation and Transformation with only his imagination limiting his ability and mixed it with Elemental Manipulation. He first started out with fire since he already knew how to create them using his abilities alone. However, transforming them into another shape aside from the usual fireball was a bit harder and requires a lot of concentration to master.

However, the most important discovery was the creation of the Chakra Shield. The idea sprouted when Naruto and Kyuubi was talking about the use of the bijuu's chakra. The idea was first realized when Kyuubi informed Naruto that use of the first stage of his chakra allowed the formation of a cloak that will cover him from head to toe and taking on a fox-like appearance complete with a tail and a pair of ears. The chakra will solidify around his body to protect him from attacks, as well as being able to manipulate the cloak to attack.

Using the Fox Cloak as a basis, Naruto pushed out his special chakra from his body and slowly manipulated it to form a sphere surrounding him. It took a week to fully solidify the shield and the first time he asked a clone to attack him with a fireball almost burned him since he was able to duck in time when it pierced the construct. It popped quite easily like that of a balloon.

In the end, Kyuubi solved the problem by suggesting that he add more chakra to the shield and condensing it more to withstand attacks. As a form of training, Naruto stood in the center of the clearing with his Chakra Shield surrounded by clones flinging fireballs at him non-stop. He was able to hold it for 5 minutes under constant barrage but Kyuubi told him that he can increase its duration and durability with practice with an added bonus of increasing his chakra reserves since he always drained them after each session, causing his reservoirs to grow and his coils to expand.

* * *

><p><em><strong>=Naruto Age: 10; Second Academy Year=<strong>_

Naruto was making his way to Training Ground 44, lovingly and fearfully referred to as the Forest of Death. He couldn't teleport into the forest since he hasn't been to the place yet but it could be easily remedied when he gets there.

"_Are you sure about this Kyu?" _Naruto asked fearfully to his furry tenant.

"_**Absolutely. You've been training your abilities for years now but it's all useless if you can't get any real-life practice out of it."**_ Kyuubi replied patiently as if talking to a 5 year old.

"_Practice? I've been practicing and training since I found out about it Kyu."_ the boy scoffed.

"_**Sure you did. The trees back in the clearing were able to give you so much practice that you can use your abilities in real combat."**_ The fox said sarcastically. _**"Shut up kit. Trust me in this. If you want to be strong then you need to test your abilities on moving targets and I know that this forest has plenty of it for you."**_

"_Fine. You're right. But how do you know about the forest anyway?"_ Naruto asked fearfully. Naming a forest with very large trees the Forest of Death sound ominous and doesn't bode well for a boy like him despite his confidence in his abilities.

"_**The Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju, created the forest using his special bloodline during the founding of Konoha. I knew about it through Mito-sama and Kushina-chan, especially the latter since she spent quite a lot of time in the forest to practice her Kenjutsu. Hashirama overpowered his technique thus the trees are exuding chakra and natural energies causing the animals in the forest to grow to large sizes and can be quite strong to unsuspecting ninjas. I even learned from Kushina that it's been used quite a lot for the Chunnin Exams when it is held here in Konoha." **_explained Kyuubi while relishing in the memories of Kushina slicing her way through large tigers, snakes, and giant insects during her time as a Jounin before the Third Shinobi War.

Naruto gulped. Large animals were never good and large, powerful animals don't really inspire much confidence to his abilities to keep himself alive.

"_Are you sure I can handle it?"_ asked Naruto timidly. Kyuubi rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"_**Yes you can. I have full confidence in your abilities. Besides, I'm here monitoring the situation so when it gets too dangerous, I can just tell you to teleport out to safety. So stop worrying and get there quick. We don't want to go there at night since the predators usually come out by then. They're usually bigger than the regular animals that frequent the area."**_

Nothing more was said as Naruto made his way to the Training Ground of Doom as he started to dub the place he was going to train in the future. When he got there an hour later, he was amazed at the size of the trees. They were huge. Some of the trees were wider than the Hokage Tower and as tall as the Hokage Monument.

"_Holy shit. You said they were big but not THAT big."_ said Naruto in awe, though slightly apprehensive at the possible predators lurking in its shadowed foliage.

"_**Well, excuse me for not giving you an accurate description of the forest."**_ Kyuubi sarcastically replied. _**"See that fence over there? That marked the boundary of the Forest of Death. Pick an area where youc an enter from then memorize that place as your entry point so you can just teleport in every time you need to practice." **_

Naruto decided to enter through the gate in front of him, Gate 21. The fence was quite imposing and he could tell that it was strengthened with chakra to ensure that the denizens of the forest could not leave their place of residence. Taking in a deep breath, he visualizes the other side of the gate and teleported inside since he couldn't open the gate due to the large lock keeping it closed. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm himself.

"Well, here we go." he said resolutely and willed his feet towards the dark foliage of the menacing forest, not noticing the hungry amber eyes tracking his movement.

* * *

><p>"<em>It is harmless he said. You can get a lot of practice from the animals in the forest he said. You can do it easily he said. I hate you Kyuubi."<em> growled Naruto to his tenant as he ran through the forest floor trying to get away from the man-sized tigers chasing him, hell bent on turning him into their next meal.

"_**I didn't tell you to run. I told you to fight so you can get to practice your abilities."**_ said Kyuubi as he lounged around in the mindscape, clearly amused at his container's plight.

"_I'm only a kid, Kyu. I'm still in the Academy for crying out loud."_ Naruto whined as he jumped to avoid a rather large log that could have easily tripped him and put him in the mercy of his pursuers. He landed on the other side and started running again, looking back to see if his pursuers quit the chase. Alas, the tigers easily jumped over the log and continued the chase, this time eyeing him hungrily. It seems that all that running made him even more delicious.

"_**Well, if you want to quit now then leave the forest. Nothing's stopping you, you know."**_ Kyuubi said lazily though he knew deep inside that his container wouldn't back down from a challenge. He was just too stubborn to do so.

Cursing himself for what he was about to do, he activated his Chakra Shield and turned around, running headlong into the rampaging tigers who he could see was smiling since their meal was coming to them. Unfortunately for the tigers, Naruto's shield was fine tuned to withstand powerful fireballs and their measly strength couldn't hope to penetrate it to get to their next meal.

Naruto barreled through their formation, scattering them with ease. He knew that he have to separate them somehow since he couldn't hope to fight all of them at once though maybe he could if he really set his mind to it.

Not slowing down, continued to run towards a large tree in front of him with some of the tigers hot on his trail. He disengaged the shield and ran up its bark, causing the tiger to stop at the base, looking up to the tree walking boy. As Naruto arrived at the center of the tree, he jumped off and flipped, giving him a complete view of the tigers waiting exactly where he was going to land.

Not wasting time, he conjured ten large fireballs the size of his head and willed them towards the waiting predators. The attack was so fast that only four of them were able to evade the fiery barrage while the other six was burned to a crisp.

Naruto frowned when he saw the four remaining tigers were back into formation, ready to attack him when he lands but he took the initiative to teleport a few meters behind them while activating his Chakra Shield to make sure that he is well protected from sudden attacks just in case some of them are biding their time under the shadow of the trees. Seeing a large boulder to his left, he used his telekinesis to hurl it towards the group, hitting one of the tigers causing it to release a painful yelp. From the snap he heard when the boulder, one of the tigers won't be joining the fight anytime soon. The other 3 was lucky enough to dodge the surprise attack.

Seeing their formation broken, Naruto created five overpowered fireballs and launched them towards the three who weren't able to recover in time, burning them to ash. He launched the boulder he used earlier and squished the remaining tiger underneath it.

Naruto didn't bother to disengage the shield as he lay panting on the forest floor.

"Damn. Real-life experience isn't what it cuts out to be." said Naruto as he slumped down on the floor, feeling the adrenalin leaving his body.

"_**What do you expect? They aren't your favorite trees you know. These are predators who would love nothing more than to eat you. This is why you need to practice your abilities with moving opponents so you can train your mind to act fast when the situation demands it. Anyway, you did well on your first try but you could have done better."**_ mused Kyuubi as he watched the replay of the fight in the mindscape.

"Yeah yeah. I don't see you running from them or fending them off." he retorted to the obvious jab at his performance.

"_**Hmmm...did it ever occur to you to remove the chakra weights so you can outrun them easily and buy time to come up with an attack plan?" **_said the fox. The silence that followed was deafening. _**"I rest my case."**_

Naruto decided to go home early to rest his shot nerves after his first foray into the Forest of Death. While in the relative safety of his home, he remembered his actions back in the forest and grudgingly agreed with Kyuubi that it could have gone better. After all, it has never been a good idea to barrel into an enemy if said enemy have skills in their repertoire that can easily negate his shield. Deciding to forego dinner, he went directly to bed while inwardly swearing that he will do better in the future.

* * *

><p>It has been 3 months since his first attempt in the Forest of Death and the blonde decided to change his training area from the clearing behind the Hokage Monument to Training Ground 44 for several reasons.<p>

One, since Kyuubi have upped his training program to include live opponents to practice on; using a clearing in the middle of Training Ground 44 was a good idea since there were ample supply of live targets for practice. Also, he was forced to train his senses to anticipate potential attacks since the shadows under the trees was so thick that you would never know if a hungry animal was watching you, ready to attack.

Two, the Forest of Death was relatively a secret place to train since no one in their right mind would enter it for recreation. He did, however, decided to keep up with the news of possible Exams to be held in Konoha to avoid getting discovered.

For the past 3 months, Naruto didn't bother to train with his abilities but opted for live combat with the denizens of the forest. His repertoire of battle strategies greatly improved as he engaged combat with large tigers (his favorite), giant spiders (Kyuubi's favorite), gigantic leeches (both Kyuubi and Naruto shuddered at their slimy looking bodies), panthers, and the likes. He was also able to fine-tune his skills for battle purposes, like creating a kunai out of the blue and hurl it anywhere where the enemy is and so on.

This was also the time that Naruto experimented on the guns. Creating the actual gun was quite easy but having no idea of the inner mechanism made it impossible for him to actually use it. In the end, Naruto and Kyuubi brainstormed for a month on what's supposed to be inside the weapon so they can start making it work.

First, they needed the weapon to be made of chakra metal for it to be conductive enough to absorb his chakra to create the bullet and power the firing mechanism. Since he has no idea how chakra metals work, he have to resort to a blacksmith back in the village to have it created for him. It took a while to come up with a mold for the gun, the barrel, and the piston that served as the firing mechanism until Kyuubi opened up another problem to the project.

Money.

Naruto cursed when Kyuubi brought up the matter of money to pay for the work needed to create the guns. He knew for a fact that chakra metals were expensive and having the gun made purely of it was going to bite deep into his wallet. The allowance he gets from the Hokage wasn't even enough to cover his already huge appetite.

The fox easily gave him a solution by going out of the village and robbing bandits of their ill-gotten wealth. Naruto immediately saw merit to the plan since he didn't have any plans to work in the village with people not giving him the time of day.

It was on the fourth month of his second year in the Academy that he was able to complete the mold for his guns. He decided to create them for a teenager's hands since he wouldn't have the resources to make another set when he grew.

After finishing the mold, Naruto left the village under the cover of darkness, judiciously using teleport to escape the ANBU sentries watching the rooftop. He stuck to the shadows until he saw the gate and teleported out of the village to the shadow of the forest just outside Konoha. He went further into the forest and chose a clearing, marking one tree with a Konoha symbol to use it as an entry point just in case he needs to leave the village in the future.

After getting that done, he went deep into the forest since there were a lot of rumors in the village that bandits were always camped out in the area so they could pick out merchants to rob. It was 3 hours after midnight that he was able to find a bandit camp as his first target.

It wasn't big, there were barely 20 people in the encampment but Kyuubi assured him that it is bigger than the usual bandit group. He stayed hidden on top of a large tree overlooking the camp and planned out a strategy. It took him a few minutes to make up his mind but he eventually decided to utilize one of his Invisibility spells he perfected a few months back. He teleported behind one of the tents in the camp and immediately cast the spell, rendering him to be virtually undetectable unless they have a Chakra Sensor in the group.

He silently made his way around the camp, checking each tent out for valuables that he could take with him. He hit the jackpot when he reached the largest tent in the camp, clearly the leader's tent since there was a chest filled with jewels and gold coins hidden behind a tarp. Grinning like a loon, Naruto shrunk the chest and teleported back to his apartment before congratulating himself for a job well done.

* * *

><p>Naruto could believe his luck when he unloaded and counted the amount he stole from the bandit camp. It took him a while to finish counting his loot but he wasn't disappointed at the result. Aside from the gold coins and jewels, there were a dozen scrolls at the bottom. He recognized the Storage Seals imprinted on the scrolls and was shocked when he unsealed the items therein – coins…lots and lots of gold coins that he counted with gusto.<p>

He stole around 2 million ryo of coins and an undetermined amount of jewels. It was more than enough for his guns with a lot of leftovers that would tide him over for future projects. He sealed some of the money back into the scrolls and returned them to the chest. He did, however, sealed 500,000 ryo into a scroll that he would bring with him tomorrow when he visits the blacksmith. He slept that night with a large smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Naruto ducked into an alley just outside his apartment and donned his disguise. He came out looking like a middle aged man, tastefully clothed with black messy hair and green eyes. In truth, the disguise was an adult version of the one he used to first infiltrate the Konoha Library and would be enough for his plans.<p>

He walked the busy streets of Konoha not minding the stares being directed his way. It took him a while to find a blacksmith that worked with chakra metals and have to ask different shops until one pointed him to check out Higurashi Weapons since the blacksmith there specialized in working on chakra metals.

It didn't take him long to arrive to his destination since he walked all the way. His feet were a bit sore since the store was on the east side of the village, opposite of where his apartment was located. He entered the shop to find a well-muscled man reading a magazine.

"Good morning sir." greeted Naruto.

"Good morning. How can I help you…?" said the man.

"My name is Kurama and I asked around the village for a blacksmith that specializes in chakra metals that accepts custom orders. Did I get the right place?" asked Naruto. Kyuubi supplied him with an alias that he could use with his disguise, instructing him to stick to the persona of a rich nobleman so he can get away with future projects that would be quite dubious for an ordinary citizen.

"You came to the right place Kurama-san. My name is Kaito and the owner of Higurashi Weapons. I specialize in chakra metals and I do accept custom orders as long as its reasonable." greeted Kaito with a smile on his face.

"Great." Naruto pulled out a storage scroll and unsealed the molds inside. This caused Kaito to raise an eyebrow.

"Are you by chance a ninja?" asked the blacksmith since no civilian can use storage scrolls due to their lack of chakra.

"No, I'm not but I hired a shinobi during my youth to teach me the basics of chakra so I can use the various tools available to them. I am a collector of sorts and I prize knowledge above anything else." lied Naruto. Kaito nodded, accepting the explanation.

"Oh, ok. So what are these for?" asked Kaito indicating the molds on the counter. Naruto gave him a sheepish look.

"These are the molds that I created for a weapon called a gun that I read from one of the few rare books that I have in my disposal. From what I discovered, guns were used before the time of the Rikudo Sennin so I wanted to recreate them to add to my collection." he explained which got a nod from the Kaito asking him to continue.

"This mold is the chassis for the gun while this one over here are the mechanisms that are supposed to make it shoot small metal balls called bullets. I have no intentions of using these weapons since the information for it was lacking but I want to have a partially working model to add to my collection. Oh yeah, I want them made using chakra metals since I want the best." finished Naruto with an excited look on his face. Kaito frowned when the customer mentioned chakra metals.

"Are you sure? Chakra metals are quite expensive to use and the cost for such detailed creations can be quite pricey." mused Kaito, calculating the total cost of the project in his head. Naruto just waved the concern away.

"Money is not a problem. I only want the best for my collection and nothing is better than chakra metals according to my experience." he said haughtily though the grin on his face told Kaito that he wasn't a stuck up nobleman. Kaito laughed.

"Fine. Since you don't seem to care much for the cost then I'll gladly take this project. Do you have the schematics so I can put these together after I take them out of the mold? From the looks of parts, it seems that you want it so that it can be disassembled on a whim, correct?" asked Kaito as he eyed the second mold with a calculating look. Naruto nodded and pulled out a scroll from one of his pockets and handed it to the shop owner who took it and read the content.

"That's the blue print I copied from the book I got back at the estate. This should help you correct potential problems that come up during its creation. Are there any questions?" he asked. Kaito shook his head while checking the notes on the blue print.

"No no. The notes are pretty clear and the blue print will be a great help to fine tune the item. Now let's talk about the price. You're lucky that I just got a delivery of chakra metals from Tetsu no Kuni (Iron Country) and they are the best when it comes to chakra metals. The total cost for the metals alone would be 250,000 ryo for each item. From the detailed work, I will charge you 100,000 ryo each." declared Kaito, eyeing his potential customer if he wanted to back out of the deal. It was an expensive project and no sane man would dish out that amount – collection or not.

Naruto grinned and pulled out the scroll containing his money and tossed it to Kaito who caught it in surprise.

"There's 500,000 ryo there. That should cover the cost for the metals of the two guns. I'll consider that as downpayment. I will give you 200,000 ryo upon completion. Is that agreeable?"

Kaito nodded with a large grin of excitement on his face. "Agreed. For the two guns, give me a week to get it done since I can devote all my time to the order without other projects to tie me down. I'll get started on them right away. Come back next week to get your toys."

Naruto nodded and held out his hands to Kaito who took it immediately thus sealing the deal. He left the shop, happy with his accomplishment.

* * *

><p>Naruto didn't leave the apartment for a week as he labored on the seals he would be inscribing on his new guns.<p>

He finalized the Chakra Absorbing Seal that he will be placing on the handle of the gun, as well as a network of Conduction Seals to transfer the power to the barrel surrounded with Compression Seals to shape the transferred energy to a ball. He modified the seal slightly to add a thick coating of chakra to the suppressed energy so it won't detonate when it comes into contact with the altered Exploding Seal at the end of the piston to launch it from the barrel. The chakra shield will thin out upon contact with the Exploding Seal that will propel it out of the gun at amazing speeds; however, it will still retain a small amount of coating that is strong enough to retain the shape of the bullet that will explode upon impact with a solid object. Kyuubi theorized that the shield will still retain its shape when it encounters human skin depending on its hardness thus giving it the ability to pierce.

To simplify the explanation from the fox, the bullet will retain its shield to partially solidify the bullet to pierce through flesh but will explode when it hits something solid enough to destroy the chakra coating. It took a lot of trial and error, as well as a lot of explosion here and there, to complete the necessary seals for the gun. All it needs is to be applied to the weapon and the testing will commence.

Naruto went back to Higurashi Weapons to get his babies but he noticed that Kaito wasn't at the counter. Instead, a girl his age was manning the cash register while reading a novel.

"Hi, is Kaito-san around?" Naruto asked the girl. She was rather cute in Naruto's opinion, especially with the two buns on her head holding her hair in place. She was wearing a pink Chinese outfit that Naruto found to be amazing on her build.

"Hello. My dad is in his workshop working on something. I can get him for you if you like." offered the girl with a smile on her face. Naruto returned the smile and nodded.

"Thank you. Can you tell him that Kurama is here for his orders?"

The girl nodded and pushed herself up from her seat and went to the back. She returned 5 minutes later with Kaito in tow who grinned at the sight of him.

"Kurama-san. You're just in time. I just finished the details of your order so why don't we go to the back so we you can check the merchandise." said Kaito with a shit-eating grin on his face. It seemed that Naruto's order made the man feel he was in heaven.

Naruto nodded and Kaito led him to the back of the shop where his workshop was located. There on the worktable were his babies, 2 guns on top of a white cloth in all its naked glory.

The excited boy under the man's disguise examined the finished product. He couldn't deny the fact that Kaito did a good job with each piece and the assembly was exquisite. He followed through with the specifications indicated on the blue print; one gun was pure black and the other pure white. The front of trigger was angular, forming a shield to protect his hands and can be used as a shield to deflect any weapons swung his way. All in all, he loved what he saw.

"They are beautiful Kaito-san. You followed my specifications down to the letter." said Naruto breathlessly as he hefted one of the guns, testing its weight and found it to be to his liking. "I thought they would be heavier considering how heavy chakra metal is."

"I know. I finished both of them yesterday and noticed that it was quite heavy after assembly so I took the liberty to add an Anti-Gravity seal at the bottom of the handle to make it weigh lighter. After all, you wouldn't want to sprain your wrist while playing with them." said Kaito with a grin. Naruto nodded since he knew that the Anti-Gravity seal would not get in the way of the other seals he plan to incorporate into the weapons.

He placed the gun back on the table and pulled out a scroll containing 300,000 ryo and handed it to the blacksmith. "There's 300,000 ryo on that scroll. 200,000 for the custom job and 100,000 as a bonus. These are works of art and it's only natural for me to give you a bonus for a job well done." said Naruto with a smile on his face. He really like the finished product and vowed to come to Kaito if he planned to do similar projects in the future.

Kaito grinned and accepted the praise and money. He took out a decorated box on the shelf on top of his work table. He opened the box to reveal a soft padding underneath, large enough to hold two guns. He hefted the two weapons and placed them inside the box before replacing the lid. He handed the box to his customer.

"Thanks for the praise. It was an honor to work on such fine pieces. Too bad we couldn't get them to work. They would be quite powerful on the field but they are great weapons nonetheless."

"You're welcome Kaito-san." said Naruto before his face turned serious. "Can I ask you to keep the creation of the gun a secret? If the design falls into the wrong hands then it could be disastrous for the village. I love Konoha and wouldn't want her enemies to find a way to get these guns working against her."

Kaito nodded with a solemn look on his face. "I agree. I will take this secret to the grave if need be. You have my word on that Kurama-san."

Naruto nodded and shook Kaito's hand before leaving the shop after some promising that he will be returning for other works he might come up with in the future.

* * *

><p>Naruto teleported to the clearing behind the Hokage Monument after ducking into a deserted alley a block away from Kaito's shop. Eager to get the inscribing done and testing his babies, he created a make-shift workshop and unsealed his tools on the table. He immediately got to work.<p>

He started by disassembling the gun to its individual parts. First, he inscribed the Chakra Absorbing Seals and Conduction Seals on the handle towards the frame of the barrel that would create the bullets. It took him 2 hours to get this done since he wanted to avoid any mistakes that could damage the weapons.

Next, he took up the bullet barrel and inscribed the outside with the modified Chakra Compression Seals. This task alone took an hour and a half.

The next was the most painstaking of them all – inscribing the Exploding Seal on the piston that would launch the chakra bullet out of the gun. He needed to create a magnifying glass and have it levitate on top of the piston so he could use his hands to inscribe the needed seal. This took him an hour. Thankfully, he had the foresight to make a miniature version of his tools beforehand.

Lastly, he added Reinforcement and Durability Seals on the rest of the gun so they would hold together despite the shock and recoil once the bullet is fired. Kyuubi gave his two cents in adding a Blood Seal on the gun to make sure that only he and his descendants were the only ones who could use the weapon and avoid theft or used against him.

Tired from inscribing the seals, Naruto pushed on to put the gun together again and marveled at the finished product. The gun itself was beautiful but the seals engraved on its casing increased the detail of the gun. He christened the black gun, Ebony and the white one, Ivory.

It was time to test the guns to see if they worked according to their schematics.

He lifted the finished guns off the table and vanished the work area with a single thought. He looked around and saw a large tree 30 meters away from him and decided that it would serve well for target practice.

He raised Ebony and channeled chakra to his hands. He felt the seals doing its work and pulled the trigger. A ball of blue chakra flew from the gun towards the tree which took a large chunk of out of the trunk in a small explosion. Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Whoah. That was so cool." He exclaimed looking alternately at the destroyed tree and the smoking gun with awe.

_**"That it is kit. I guess all our planning was successful. Congratulations! You have the only guns in existence and undeniable a powerful weapon amongst those found in the Elemental Countries."**_ praised Kyuubi, clearly impressed at the power of the guns in Naruto's hands.

Naruto experimented more with his new toys and found out some unplanned quirks to the design.

For starters, rapid firing is only possible if he used regular chakra bullets utilizing very small chakra. It didn't pack enough power to pierce but it would be enough to inflict blunt force trauma to his enemies.

More powerful, larger bullets require charging time. The longer the charge, the more powerful the bullet and explosion would be. The overpowered bullet has the capacity of an exploding tag if powered enough which was quite obvious when a tree was obliterated into splinters after firing one such bullet.

Naruto noticed that the stronger bullets have a powerful recoil that blew him off his feet upon firing. Kyuubi told him to channel chakra to the ground to keep him in place. Naruto decided to avoid firing such powerful bullets in mid-air since that would throw him quite a ways if he's not careful.

After testing the capabilities of Ebony and Ivory, Naruto conjured different target dummies around the clearing and started firing. He found out that his accuracy was a bit off but he can easily practice with his guns to get them up to par with his throwing.

At the end of the day, Naruto teleported back to his apartment, carefully placing Ebony and Ivory on the table, watching them with a loving smile on his face before going to bed, tired but happy with the new additions to his repertoire.

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><p><strong>Whew. Finally done with chapter 02. Hopefully you had fun reading. Please review. All comments and violent reactions are welcome.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 03 my beloved readers. But before you read on, here are some reviews/comments that deserves an answer:**

**m'j doom:** Thanks my friend. I did forget about Shino. Well, I mentioned him in this chapter so thanks again.

**konatachan603:** I share your sentiment... a gun-wielding Naruto is cooool. He will definitely show off his skills... ku ku ku ku (creepy but addicting)

**Ccebling**: After an overnight deliberation, I integrated your suggestion and is in this chapter. Enjoy my friend. ku ku ku ku (sorry, can't help it)

**hash4uall**: I'm not sure if Naruto should learn the Mind Arts (Harry Potter). It is a good idea but I can't seem to come up with a way to integrate it into the plot. If you have an idea, PM me.

**gaaradave1**: I placed a limitation on Naruto's Creation/Transformation abilities. He doesn't really know how gold is made (well, so do I and I don't want to research it.). Besides, putting a limitation on Naruto's Chakra Magic would make things more interesting. It wouldn't be fun if Naruto could just turn everyone into frogs. (I know some of you will notice this. If Naruto can turn rocks into animals, what's stopping him from turning his enemies into inanimate objects to incapacitate them? Well, this will be explained in future chapters, possibly the next. so stay tuned.)

**DragonBard**: Thanks for the suggestion. I will be checking out those titles to see if I can grab some ideas from them. Well, in regards to the first line, i just love guns. Its cool.

For those who were a bit negative about me crossing Naruto with abilities in HP and wielding a gun. Well, its my version of the story so I'll write them as I see fit. If you don't like it then don't read. No one's stopping you. I think this is what fan fiction is all about - letting you imagination run wild to yours and other's amusement.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Not now, not ever. In passing, give credit to where credit is due for Black Cat and Hunter X Hunter. They aren't mine, just borrowing their creator's idea for my fic. And no... I don't own Harry Potter as well. J.K. Rowling owns it.

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><p><strong>Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<strong>

**Chapter 03**

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><p><em><strong>=Timeskip; Naruto Age: 11; Third Academy Year=<strong>_

For Naruto, the end of the third Academy year was anti-climactic to say the least. Sure, the lesson got interesting enough that he didn't get bored and the inclusion of spars, chakra theory and control, and exercises on various throwing weapons took up the time that he usually spends zoning out or outright sleeping, much to the ire of Iruka.

During the third year, Naruto didn't bother to reveal any of his secrets or how strong he really is. His daily training in the Forest of Death yielded great results especially with his use of Ebony and Ivory who were currently sealed in the palms of his hands. Kyuubi suggested the use of gun holsters like the one in the manga but Naruto decided against it since it can be stolen or removed from his person so he wanted to avoid that using storage seals.

Also, Naruto decided to improve his standing in the Academy since it would be impossible at this point to hide anything and ruin his chances of graduating. Despite Mizuki's attempt of destroying his future career, he was placed 4th in his class due to his very accurate throws, winning spars (though he decided to lose once in a while to keep up the façade), as well as omitting some answers from the written test to get an above average grade just below perfect.

Training with his abilities also went back on schedule after mastering the use of his guns. His accuracy improved after a year of practice in the Forest of Death though he refrained from killing the local wildlife using low-powered chakra bullets to simply stun his opponents since he didn't want to depopulate the area. However, he did love blowing up the giant spiders with overpowered bullets.

He personally started reading Black Cat since he wanted to come up with new skills for his weapons. The Rail Gun in particular caught his attention. He was thankful that the manga provided a detailed description of the ability but he didn't bother to practice it as of yet since he needed to utilize Raiton (Lightning) chakra to duplicate the feat. Kyuubi vested a keen interest in Steven's Suitcase of Destruction (Kyuubi named it himself considering how much weapon he could store in its confines) and wouldn't shut up about it. In the end, Naruto promised Kyuubi that he would experiment with such weapons in the future if there's time.

Training in his bloodline didn't produce much; but enough to gain a slight mastery to skills he discovered that will give him an edge when out in the field.

For starters, his Chakra Shield is now an almost automatic mechanism once he developed a form of sixth sense to danger due to his training in the dangerous forest. Kyuubi theorized that his bloodline was semi-sentient in a way that it modified the shield, tying it directly to Naruto's danger sense for automatic activation. It didn't usually activate on a whim as demonstrated when a tiger pounced on him while he was busy setting up camp but it did save him a second time.

Another discovery of his Chakra Magic is body enhancement. Most ninjas utilize chakra control to enforce their body for defense or release a burst of chakra on their kicks and punches for devastating results. Naruto's version was quite different.

He can infuse his body with Chakra Magic to the point that he can automatically call it to anywhere in his person to attack. He felled a lot of trees in the Forest of Death with either a punch or a kick. The only downside to this is that it takes up a lot of chakra to do despite the control he has so he has to use it sparingly unless he wanted to pass out from exhaustion. He wanted to achieve the same level of strength as displayed by Tsunade of the Sannin but Kyuubi told him that the technique requires perfect chakra control which is impossible for Naruto since his reserves continues to grow with training and age.

His experimentation with the elements didn't yield any results. It seems that he hit a dead-end with his experimentation with Fire and the other elements proved to disastrous for his health so he's stuck with fireballs for now. Kyuubi told him that he would need to train in Elemental Chakra Manipulation which is often reserved to Jounin ranks before he can move on to experimenting with such abilities, like Elemental Conjuration.

* * *

><p>Naruto was currently relaxing in his apartment, taking a break from his training. The third Academy just finished and there were given 2 months of break until the next semester rolls in. He was about to go into a well-deserved nap when a knock on the door stopped that plan.<p>

Grumbling, he rolled himself off the couch and stood up, rolling his shoulders to work out the kinks of lying down all afternoon. He went to the door and opened it revealing an ANBU wearing a Neko mask.

"Yes? How can I help you?" said Naruto tiredly while rubbing his eye. He really wanted to go back to his comfortable couch and take a nap. Kyuubi wanted to do the same if the ranting echoing in his mind was of any indication.

"Uzumaki-san, the Hokage would like to see you in his office as soon as possible." replied Neko. Naruto nodded.

"Sure thing Neko. I can go there by myself. I just need to change my clothes." said Naruto but paused when he thought of something. "Do you want to come in so we can go together? I think you already know that I have my own form of transportation."

Neko nodded and stepped into the room. "Thank you. Uzumaki-san."

"Please, call me Naruto. Everyone does. Give me a minute to change then we can go visit jiji." said Naruto before going back to his room to change. It was 5 minutes later that Naruto came out of his room wearing a dark blue shirt and black cargo pants. He walked over to Neko, who was standing by the door in attention though it was quite obvious that the ANBU was looking around observing the rich furniture and fixtures around his apartment, and held out his hand. "Ready? I can take us there faster instead of taking the rooftops."

Neko nodded and grasped the offered hand before Naruto teleported them to the Hokage's office. Both appeared in front of a startled Hokage though Neko was swaying a bit from disorientation.

"What in the world was that?" asked a clearly disgruntled ANBU. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"That was my Teleportation technique. I can appear and disappear anywhere I want as long as I know the place. Sorry for not giving you any warnings. This is my first time bringing a passenger along for the ride." Naruto apologized to the ANBU who he was sure was giving him a glare.

"It's alright. Just inform me in advance if you're planning to do that again." she said before melting into the shadows, disappearing from view. This caught Naruto's interest.

"Now that's an interesting trick. I wonder if I can do the same thing?" mused Naruto, eyes not leaving the shadow where Neko disappeared from. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a cough from the Hokage.

"Hello Naruto-kun. Glad of you to come on such short notice. Please sit so we can get started." said the Hokage, giving Naruto a smile which the boy happily returned.

"So jiji. Why did you call me?" asked the boy as he made himself comfortable in his seat.

"Well, two things really. One, I miss talking to you since I know you've been busy training and having your clone attend the Academy." the Hokage said offhandedly. This startled Naruto.

"How in the world did you find out?" shouted Naruto in surprise. The Hokage gave him a mysterious smile.

"I know a lot of 'hidden' things going on in my village, Naruto-kun so you sending in a clone to class were not a secret to me. I do applaud you for maximizing your resources to avoid stunting you growth in class while training your abilities." said the aged leader. "Anyway, I want to know what you've been up to and I want to test your skills for something I have in mind for the future." finished the Hokage in a cryptic manner that caused Naruto, and Kyuubi, to raise an eyebrow.

"Well…you already know that I send a Shadow Clone to the Academy everyday to attend class for me while I train in the….ummm…forest to further explore my abilities." said Naruto, a bit hesitant in revealing the location of his 'new' training ground in the Forest of Death. The Hokage smiled at the half-truth.

"You don't have to worry Naruto-kun. I know that you've been training in the Forest of Death for more than a year now. In fact, one of my trusted Jounin who practically lived in the forest reported your presence there to me so I know what you've been up to." this revelation surprised Naruto. It seems that his secret place wasn't so secret after all. "I know what you've been training and the reports I've been getting from this Jounin told me that you have some new skills in your arsenal that proved to be quite interesting. This is why I want to test you myself to see what you're capable of."

This confused Naruto a bit. "Why do you want to test me jiji? And what is this plan you mentioned?" he asked in a confused voice.

"That is for me to know and for you to find out in the future so why don't we go to this clearing of yours in Training Ground 44 so we can get started." said the Hokage while standing up from his chair holding out his hand to Naruto, clearly an order to teleport them to the location. Naruto nodded and grasped his surrogate grandfather's hand and teleported the both of them to his training area.

When they arrived, Naruto let go of the old man who was looking around the clearing, noting the destruction of the area that he mused must be the result of Naruto's training.

"You really massacred the place Naruto-kun." said Sarutobi while curiously looking at one tree that was littered with finger-like holes. Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry jiji. I usually go all out in my training." said Naruto with an embarrassed smile on his face. The Hokage nodded in approval.

"Good. We are going to have a small spar to demonstrate your skills. I hope you won't disappoint Naruto." he said before jumping back and took of his robe revealing that he was wearing his battle armor underneath.

Naruto was shocked at the old man's garb but decided to concentrate on the spar. He launched himself forward and started the attack with a palm thrust to the Hokage's chest who easily swept it aside with a hand then lashing out with a punch. Naruto barely sidestepped the counter and wasn't able to pay attention to the rest of the old man's body who launched a kick that hit him on the rib, propelling him away.

"_Ouch. That hurts. For an old man, he packs quite a kick."_ thought Naruto with a wince as he flew to the air and landed on the ground with a thud which caused him to empty the air in his lungs. He could already feel Kyuubi's chakra being diverted to his ribs numbing the pain and healing the damage while taking a deep breath to steady himself.

"_**You might want to take this seriously, kit. The old man isn't pulling any punches. Look out!" **_shouted Kyuubi.

Naruto looked up after Kyuubi's warning and saw the old man going through hand seals and taking in a deep breath before launching a large fireball heading his way.

Seeing that he couldn't evade the attack in time, Naruto immediately activated his Chakra Shield effectively protecting him from the inferno but the force of the attack pushed him back a few feet.

Not wanting to give the old man any time to launch another attack, he kept his shield up and conjured five fireballs around his body, feeding it more chakra causing them to grow in size.

"Back at ya jiji!" he shouted as he thrust his hand forward, launching the fireballs towards the old man who was smirking and going through another set of seals.

"You're too young to pull a fast one on me, Naruto-kun. **Doton: Mud Wall**" he shouted before slamming his hand on the ground causing a wall of solidified mud to rise up in front of him to protect himself from the attack.

The two techniques collided causing a shockwave but the wall survived with only a few cracks.

Taking advantage of the loss of vision, Naruto channeled a bit of chakra to the seal on his right palm causing Ebony to appear in a puff of smoke. He pointed the gun at the wall and channeled a lot of chakra into the pistol before pulling the trigger. The overpowered chakra bullet raced through the air and hit the wall of earth causing a large explosion that destroyed the earthen shield. The Hokage was lucky enough to jump out of the way when he sensed the large amounts of chakra being used by the boy.

"What was that?" he shouted as he landed to Naruto's left, eyeing the smoking gun the boy was holding with awe and confusion. Naruto grinned and faced the old man.

"Meet one of my babies jiji. This one's name is Ebony." he introduced his now-revealed ace-in-the-hole by pointing it at the Hokage who was standing at the ready. He raised his left hand and brought out Ivory in another puff of smoke.

"This beauty over here is Ivory." he pointed it to the Hokage who was now quite nervous at the unknown weapons being aimed at him. "Now dance for me jiji." he cackled and started raining low-powered bullets at the Hokage who was dancing around trying to avoid the barrage of bullets who he knew would hurt like hell if he got hit.

"_How in the world is that boy doing this? What are those weapons he's using? I haven't seen anything like it before in my entire life." t_he Hokage mentally shouted as he increased his speed to evade the bullets coming from the trigger happy blonde.

Naruto stopped shooting but he charged a shit load of chakra to his handguns. "**Double Gun Attack: Twin Explosion**" he shouted before pulling on the trigger. Two large balls of chakra exploded from the tips of the guns which caused Naruto to be blown back as the recoil was too much for his chakra-laced feet to contain.

The astonished Hokage jumped away from the impact zone as the two bullets hit the ground he was standing on causing a very large explosion that shook the trees in the clearing. The smoke cleared revealing a 10 meter crater where he once stood. He looked at the crater and at Naruto who was picking himself off the forest floor with both guns smoking from the attack.

"That was quite a powerful attack Naruto but it would take more than that to defeat me." the Hokage boasted but he was secretly worried at the amount of damage the boy was making. If one of those bullets hit him then he's done for, Hokage or not.

Naruto pulled himself off the ground and mentally berated himself for not channeling enough chakra to his feet. He heard the Hokage praise his attack but boasted that it wasn't enough to bring him down. He decided right there and then to call for reinforcements.

"I'm not done yet jiji." he waved his hand while holding Ivory towards some rocks beside him, resulting to ten very large white tigers to appear growling at a shocked Hokage. He sent a mental order for them to attack while bracing himself on the ground, deactivating his shield to conserve energy, and channeling chakra to his guns to prepare for another barrage.

The Hokage was surprised by the sudden appearance of the tigers, chalking it up to Naruto's transformation skills. He jumped back to avoid the lunging tigers while already thinking up of a plan to breach Naruto's defenses.

One of the tigers got too close for comfort but he was able to side-step the clawed swipe and launched a kick that hit the tiger on the ribs and propelled it towards a tree that cancelled the transformation upon impact. He channeled some chakra to his feet and jumped up in the air to avoid another group attack while going through a set of seals ending in a Tiger seal which was quite ironic since he was facing such beasts.

"**Katon: Mythical Phoenix Fire"** shouted the Hokage as he drew a deep breath then releasing a dozen head-sized fireballs that nailed the tigers, blowing them up. He sensed an attack coming from Naruto so he immediately jumped to the side upon landing and started running since the boy was raining him with chakra bullets while cackling like a madman which resulted in the Hokage questioning the blonde's sanity. He went through another series of handseals while evading the bullets.

When Naruto stopped the attack, as he hoped, he immediately slammed both of his hands on the ground while shouting out his latest technique. **"Doton: Fist of the Earth God"**

Naruto was confused when nothing happened after the Hokage shouted the technique. He looked around, not seeing anything except for a smirking old man. He was about to say something but the ground he was standing on rumbled before a large fist made of rock and earth burst from the ground beneath that almost destroyed him if not for the automatic activation of his shield. He thanked whatever god was listening that his semi-sentient shield acted in time. However, the impact was so powerful that it lifted him to the air and dispelled the shield leaving him quite open. He didn't get to do anything else when the old man appeared on top of him and attacked with an axe kick that hit him on the stomach, launching him back to earth causing a small shockwave when he impacted the forest floor.

Naruto was dazed after the attack and the pain on his stomach was excruciating. He was about to pull himself off the forest floor but stopped when he felt the cold metal of a kunai on his neck courtesy of a grim-faced Sarutobi.

"Yield." said the Hokage in a voice that brooked no nonsense.

Cannot think of any strategy to get out of his current condition since he was still too dazed from the attack to properly teleport to safety, he nodded in defeat. The Hokage smirked and pulled the knife away from the boy's neck and held out a hand which the blonde gratefully accepted and pulled him up.

"That was a great spar Naruto-kun. I can see that you've come a long way on your training but you still have a few holes that need to be corrected." said Sarutobi with a small smile on his lips.

Naruto groaned and held up both his hands, willing his Chakra Magic to call to his weapons. It didn't take long for the two guns to appear in his hands with a curious Hokage giving it a careful look.

"You're too strong jiji. Nothing I did had any effect on you." moaned Naruto as he rubbed his stomach as if willing for the pain to go away. The Hokage let off a hearty laugh while clapping the blonde on the back, which made the boy wince in pain since his body was still aching from the impact.

"Well, I'm not named the Hokage for nothing my boy. I have the strength and experience to back up my title despite my old body. Besides, you didn't put much thought to your attacks but we can correct that with proper training."

"Huh?" was Naruto's genius reply.

"I'm going to be training you for the two months before you start your fourth year in the Academy. The training I'm planning to put you through will be to hone your skills to make them more effective in battle. I could never deny the fact that you are strong, possibly even Jounin level, but you didn't put too much strategy on your attacks that resulted in your downfall. So do you accept?" he asked. Naruto just nodded since there was nothing he could do to refute the old man's explanation of the spar.

Besides, its not everyday one is offered a personalized training with the Hokage and he wasn't that stupid to turn it down.

* * *

><p><strong>=2 Months of Training=<strong>

Naruto made up his mind. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, is a sadistic sensei.

After the spar, the old man gave him a few minutes to recuperate before asking the blonde to teleport them back to his office. When they arrived, the Hokage started asking questions about the blonde's bloodline and abilities. He was forever curious about the guns, Ebony and Ivory, so he asked the boy on their capabilities

Needless to say, the Hokage was shocked that the boy was able to turn a weapon from a comic book into a real-life weapon…a very powerful and versatile weapon judging from the results of the spar.

The Hokage couldn't help but praise Naruto for his ingenuity and his knowledge on seals. The blonde sucked it up like a sponge, boosting his ego, but it deflated when the Hokage told him that the weapon was wasted on a trigger-happy moron like him.

Kyuubi laughed so hard that he was rolling around the mindscape much to the blonde's annoyance.

The Hokage gave Naruto a complete run-down of his abilities in the spar. Judging from his abilities, he was ranked from mid-Chunnin to low-Jounin but his lack of experience placed him on low-Chunnin. Despite the massive drop in ranking, Naruto grinned like a loon since he was quite powerful for someone his age. His ego, however, took another beating when the Hokage listed down his faults.

One, Naruto is overconfident in his abilities that he just charges ahead and hoping for the best.

Two, aside from having his abilities tested in the field, mostly against predators in the Forest of Death, there is no actual combat experience in using it against another shinobi who have their own set of skills that could possibly counter his own.

Three, his guns were quite powerful as a weapon due to the versatility of its power and range, as well as its durability to be used as a shield to block melee and throwing weapons aimed at him. However, it is useless in the hands of a shinobi who didn't bother to use his head and prefers to just shower the area with bullets that could easily hit his allies.

Four, his dependency towards his abilities that he didn't bother to learn Elemental jutsus, which was quite stupid according to the Hokage since a good shinobi always learn things that he or she will possibly need in the field. In other words, Naruto overspecialized and that made him overconfident.

The 2 months of training was an eye opener for the blonde jinchuriki. Thanks to the application of Shadow Clones, he and the Hokage spent most of the day in training while their clones are in the Academy and doing paperwork.

The first week of training was a test of Naruto's abilities, which includes Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu.

The Hokage praised him on learning the Tai Chi style because it was one of the most powerful and balanced styles in existence. According to him, Naruto's forms were perfect and smooth but the lack of actual battle experience hindered him from mastering the style. The Hokage told him that he would correct that with a daily morning spar throughout their training session.

Naruto's Ninjutsu sucked since he only bothered to teach himself three of them – Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, and Henge no Jutsu. Sure it was enough to pass the Academy but the Hokage told Naruto that he should have branched out since he had plenty of time to train plus his stealthy access to the Konoha Library (unofficially of course) that he gave his full permission.

With that in mind, the Hokage tested Naruto on his Elemental Affinity and found out that the blonde has a powerful attunement towards Wind. He commanded Naruto to create 100 clones everyday to start with the Leaf Cutting Exercise in the Forest of Death while the original focuses on the actual training with the Hokage.

The Hokage could understand why Naruto sucked at Genjutsu. The Jinchuriki just had too much chakra for the finesse and subtlety of illusions. He praised Naruto in learning how to counter illusions but told Naruto that he needed to undergo more strenuous Chakra Control exercises so he can easily detect and dispel them better. In the end, it took 100 clones to find a lake or river to practice Water Walking. Kyuubi berated himself for not teaching his container during their training program.

It was during their 2nd week of training that Sarutobi gave Naruto his birthright – the Uzumaki and Namikaze scrolls which contained all the techniques that his mother and father possessed, as well as the money they managed to save during their lifetime which was quite sizable to say the least.

Naruto was a bit teary eyed after receiving something from his parents. He asked the Hokage if his parents had any house or land to occupy but the Hokage told him that they only lived in a modest apartment in the village though his father took up residence in the Hokage Mansion during his short tenure as Hokage. This didn't depress Naruto since he loved his apartment anyway but he was already thinking on buying a plot of land somewhere in the village so he could build his own house in the future. After all, he is to be given a Clan Head status upon reaching Chunnin so he needed to have a clan house for him and his future families.

Speaking of scrolls, Naruto didn't bother to learn anything from the Namikaze scrolls as of yet but concentrated more on his mother's techniques. Uzumaki Kushina had a Water Affinity so she had a sizable repertoire of water techniques for Naruto to learn from. However, what caught his attention was Kushina's ability to produce Chakra Chains that have the power to detain anything, even a rampaging bijuu at full power. Kyuubi told him that he only had a minor ability for this, enough to create chains to restrict enemy movements but he could easily utilize his ability to strengthen it if he wanted to. With that in mind, Naruto delegated some clones to manifest the chains and improve it.

While the clones were busy on their own task, the real Naruto was busy training under the sadistic Hokage. His chakra weights were upped to 100 pounds each, much to the blonde's chagrin and the Hokage's amusement, that totaled to 400 pounds of body weight while running laps, doing push ups, pull ups, sit ups, and sparring. It was only thanks to the healing capability granted to him by Kyuubi that he survived. This was only for the morning session.

The after session was on specialization training – his guns. The Hokage told him that he had a plan in the future and that it requires Naruto's complete mastery of his weapons. The blonde pestered the old man about the details involved but the aged Hokage didn't budge and promised to reveal it to the boy when he attains the rank of Genin.

It was during the second week that Naruto broached the subject to the Hokage about his project regarding his gun's abilities. He told the Hokage about the concept of a Rail Gun as he read in the manga, Black Cat.

The Hokage didn't voice out his opinion considering that it was in the realm of impossibility but he thought that Naruto could possibly achieve such a goal since his bloodline had a nasty habit of making the impossible possible. It was then that the Hokage taught Naruto the Lightning Affinity Exercise, which was to power up a light bulb using Lighting Chakra alone.

The Hokage warned him that this will be difficult, almost next to impossible, since the blonde have a Wind Affinity which was opposite to Lightning. This didn't deter the blonde since he was adamant to have a powerful gun technique under his belt so he designated another hundred of his clones for the job. Thankfully, he didn't have to spend any money on light bulbs since his clones can just create them out of nothing thanks to Chakra Magic.

The third week of the training program was dedicated to Naruto applying his bloodline to a battle scenario. Thankfully, his clones were able to materialize the Chakra Chains from his mother's bloodline though the Hokage mentioned that it felt a lot weaker compared to Kushina's version.

His abilities were tested to their limits during their morning spar. Naruto was forced to utilize his Creation ability along with Telekinesis to create weapons out of nothing and have them attack the experienced leader with gusto. Knives, swords, spears, and other weapons were casually being created and tossed around in the field to the point that Naruto could subconsciously control his Telekinesis after 2 months of training.

Speaking of Telekinesis, it was on their fourth week that Naruto was able to utilize it to the point that he could levitate himself off the ground. He unconsciously unlocked the ability when the Hokage launched him off the ground with a powerful kick and a clone appearing in mid-air punched him towards the ground.

In fear of turning into a bloody pancake, he subconsciously stopped himself from being splattered, floating 5 feet off the ground. This excited the Hokage so much that he ordered Naruto to experiment with the ability during his afternoon specialization session. The blonde jinchuriki didn't mind since he found it an exhilarating experience to fly so their training ground was littered with clones zooming around in the air much to the Hokage's amusement.

The fifth week was the debut of the Rail Gun. Naruto was grateful that the technique didn't require advanced Lightning Chakra manipulation since his gun's properties and seals magnified the small amount of Lightning Chakra he channeled into it.

From what he and Kyuubi found out, the gun stores the electricity thanks to the conductive properties of Chakra Metal. If used like a regular chakra bullet, the Lightning Chakra surrounds the chakra bullet, magnifying its coating's durability by 10. At the same time, the electricity running through the gun acts as an accelerator that increases the propelling factor by 20. Once fired, the electricity-enforced bullet would travel at Kage-level speeds and piercing anything it encounters thanks to the reinforced coating. He tried it out and both the blonde and the Hokage couldn't help but be amazed when the bullet sped out of the gun tip piercing 15 trees before exploding on the 16th.

However, as powerful the ability is, there were drawbacks that both Naruto and the Hokage noted.

One, it takes quite a while for Naruto to produce enough Lightning chakra to power the Rail Gun. Upon experimentation, each gun requires 2 minutes of charging time before it can be fired. Two, the Rail Gun cannot be overcharged, like Naruto's Twin Explosion technique. It was just a regular chakra bullet reinforced with Lightning chakra. But despite the weakness, Naruto couldn't be happier with the new addition to his arsenal.

On the sixth week of training, Naruto learned a couple of Wind Techniques courtesy of his foray into the Shinobi section of the Konoha Library. He didn't bother to learn them all but chose instead to pick those that would supplement his lack of jutsus. His first technique was Futon: Grand Breakthrough – a C-Rank technique that causes a huge gust of wind that can throw any enemies off their feet, granted that they didn't stick to the ground with their chakra. It can also serve as a distraction so he can follow-up with his guns.

Another technique he learned is Futon: Wind Blades – another C-Rank technique that creates multiple blades of wind that can cause minor to medium-risk wounds on an enemy. He specifically chose this technique because his arsenal lacked anything that slices an enemy since most of his gun's abilities involved piercing or explosions.

It was on the last week of training that he mastered the minor Chakra Chains he got from his mother. He could create chains from his hands that could bind or attack an enemy from close to mid-range. He added his bloodline to the technique by adding a kunai-like blade at the tip of the chain to give it an extra boost in attack. Kyuubi had an idea from one of the manga that Naruto's clones read in the Library about a Nen-user that uses chains attached to his hands. Even if he can't incorporate the different abilities of the Nen-user into his own chains, the ability to create them on a whim and added durability would go a long way in his career. With that idea in mind, Naruto vowed to visit Kaito again in the future once they have a solid plan in place.

The 2 months of training ended to be fruitful for Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't learn much in terms of techniques and abilities but the Hokage was able to refine his current abilities to the point that he could give the old man a run for his money though the boy still looses all the time.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi Hiruzen was enjoying the vibrating chair Naruto created for him as his clones labored over the paperwork. The 2 months vacation he spent training Naruto was quite an eye-opener for the old leader. It wasn't everyday that you experience a new bloodline in action and Naruto's Chakra Magic defied any known logic with an opportunity to improve without any limit.<p>

His gaze lingered over a folder that he set up a year back when he learned of the blonde's ability. He knew that Naruto's bloodline will not be so well received when the council learns of it. This is one of the reasons why he decided to create his own private team of shinobis that is only under him in command – the Tokubetsu Brigade.

The Tokubetsu Brigade will be a 3-man team composed of shinobis with their own set of unique abilities. Naruto will automatically become a part of the team due to his bloodline.

The second to join this new group will be Mitarashi Anko, a Tokubetsu Jounin trained by the traitor Orochimaru. Her skills in stealth and assassination would be a great compliment to the team.

Last, but not the least, is Yakumo from the minor Kurama clan. The Kurama clan was well-known for being Genjutsu specialists but Yakumo is unique among his blood relatives since she can easily throw illusions as if it was nothing or overpower the techniques that the illusions become reality to a point.

With these three in mind, the Tokubetsu Brigade would be complete and would serve him well in the future. Anko will provide close to mid-range specialties while Naruto offers mid-to-long range abilities. Yakumo can cover the lack of genjutsu in the group or even serve as a medic-nin with the proper training.

The only problem with the team would be Yakumo. Her abilities are currently sealed and she is confined to her clan compound due to the demon that possessed her. If he wanted to let this team come to pass then it is time to call in a Seal Master to counter the problem and remove the possession for good. He might as well call in Tsunade so he can have someone he trust train Yakumo in Medical Techniques but how in the world can he entice her back. But for now, he needed some of the members to meet and possibly bond with each other for the future stability with the team. He pressed a button on his desk causing Neko to appear in front of him, kneeling.

"You called, Hokage-sama." said Neko.

"Thank you for coming Neko. I want you to find Mitarashi Anko and tell her to come to my office as soon as possible." ordered the Hokage. Neko nodded and disappeared from the room.

"Now to write a letter for my wayward students." mused the Hokage as he pulled out a blank scroll from a drawer.

* * *

><p><em><strong>=Timeskip; Naruto: Age 13; Fifth Academy Year=<strong>_

In a large house surrounded by a tall, brick fence in the former Training Ground 43 beside the fenced Forest of Death, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto woke up to get himself ready for the big event of the day. Today was the Graduation Exam where he plans to pass with flying colors and become a Genin of Konoha.

The new Namikaze-Uzumaki estate was quite large to say the least, which encompassed the entire former training ground which he bought from the Hokage using half of the money he got from his parents. He built the estate himself with the judicious use of his Creation and Transformation abilities plus a thousand Shadow Clones to get it done in a week.

The house, or mansion as Hokage-jiji called it, sported 15 bedrooms with their own bathroom, 5 guestrooms, a spacious training ground at the back with ready, though gated, access to the Forest of Death, a game room, a library (with only a few books inside for now though the blonde vowed to fill it up if he had the time and the resources to do so), and of course, a study located on the underground level of the estate where he usually conducts his many projects and experiments.

Naruto rolled himself off his four-poster bed and headed straight for his bathroom, intending to take a hot shower to get his blood going for the day. His meeting with the Hokage yesterday was cryptic to say the least. All he got from the aged leader was to proceed with the test without holding back his abilities and a surprise when he graduates.

He remembered grinning like a loon when the Hokage told him to go all out. He was quite happy to finally cut lose from the secrecy; though he tell the Hokage that the Council would find out about it but the aged leader assured him that its already taken cared of.

The 2 years after the 2 month training with the Hokage was spent in both honing his abilities, training new abilities, and of course, a lot of experimentation with many of his projects which some of them he happily completed with the help of Kyuubi and Kaito of Higurashi Weapons.

He exited the shower after an hour of relaxing in the bathtub, dried himself off with a fluffy towel, and proceeded to his walk-in closet where he observed himself from a large body-sized mirror.

His physical training yielded amazing results. He was now at 5'4, well-muscled but not bulky. He was clearly built for speed and agility though his training with chakra weights made sure that whatever muscles he has in his body packed enough strength to back him up during any encounters he might face when he becomes a full-fledge shinobi of the Leaf.

On his palms were 2 storage seals holding his prized guns – Ebony and Ivory. He trained a lot with them over the years and he could easily say that he was on par with Train Heartnet of Black Cat though he could never gauge how good the protagonist was since it was in the realm of fantasy.

On the other side of his hands were another set of storage seals which holds his Chakra Chain Armlets – 5 rings connected to a wrist bracer with chains, all made with Chakra Metals that allowed him easier control and access to his mother's ability. The Metals were inscribed with seals for better control, durability, and allowed him to use the chains with lesser chakra to avoid exhausting himself in a long battle.

His face and body was devoid of body fat because of his daily physical training. He let his blonde hair grew out which now reached the middle of his back. He dried his hair out and braided it with a simple thought. Thanks to his training program from Kyuubi, he had easier access to his Chakra Magic bloodline and it responded to his thoughts without the need for gestures, though he loved to wave his hand now and then when he wanted to do something with it since it made him look cool.

Turning to one of the closets and pulled out a box which revealed a set of clothes and gears that he never wore before. These were special creations of his that he swore to only wear during Graduation and when he becomes a Genin of Konoha.

He donned his gear and observed himself in the mirror.

He outfit consisted of a dark blue shirt and black cargo pants. He wore black combat boots with a steel toe tip. On his thighs were two gun holsters decorated with seals around the Konoha Leaf symbol. He finished his outfit with a black high-collared trench coat with the orange spiral symbol at the back.

These were quite special and are a result of hours of experimentation. The outfit was lined with Durability Seals to make sure that they survive the rigors of being a Shinobi. The trench coat was special since he incorporated the seals of his chakra weights into its hem so they are weighted down by chakra for his daily training. Of course, it also included Durability Seals to make sure they survive harsh beatings.

Liking his look, he unsealed Ebony and Ivory and placed them on the holsters attached to his thighs, at the same time, unsealing the Chakra Chain Bracelets.

Overall, he made quite an imposing figure and he liked it. Chuckling at how he would be surprising his classmates in the Academy, he left the confines of his room and made his way towards the kitchen for breakfast.

When he entered the kitchen, he saw Anko sitting on the dining table, sipping a cup of coffee while reading today's newspaper.

He met Mitarashi Anko last year in the Forest of Death while he was sparring with his clones. At first, the woman was quite hostile for invading her forest but after explaining to her his situation and why he was using the area for training, both hit it off squarely since both found something they both have in common – they loved to cause a lot of destruction.

In the end, both had fun sparring with each other, growing strong in the process. It was only a year ago when Naruto finished his soon-to-be clan house that he invited Anko to take up residence with him since there were enough space for the both of them. The woman denied it at first since she wasn't used to living with a guy alone in a big house but eventually relented when both got close together. They sported a brother-sister relationship with suited the two of them just fine.

"Good morning Anko-neechan. You're up early." greeted Naruto as he moved himself to one of the counters to prepare himself a cup of coffee while he used his Telekinesis to bring out 3 cups of ramen from the other side of the room and placed a pot of water on top of the stove to boil. "Want something for breakfast?" he asked the Jounin.

He didn't bother to hide his abilities from Anko since he trusted her. Besides, it's not like she didn't see him practice and train with his bloodline in the Forest of Death before and after they met. She revealed that she was the one who reported him to the Hokage of turning the forest into his personal training ground considering it was her home away from home.

"No thanks gaki. I just got back from a mission actually and decided to just relax for the day. I already ate a dozen dangos for breakfast so I'm good." said Anko while taking another sip of coffee from her cup. "Are you ready for the exams today?"

"Of course! I've been ready for years now. Thank Kami that jiji told me to cut lose or I'll be toning down my abilities again." answered Naruto as he sat himself in front of Anko and took a sip of his own brew while waiting for the water to boil. Anko gave him an amused smirk.

"So you're going to be showing off today huh? Give them hell gaki. I don't want to hear anything from my peers that Anko's adopted brother is not doing well in his exams." said the Jounin with a grin.

Because of his closeness with the Snake Mistress, Naruto met quite a lot of high-end ninjas in the field, namely Yuuhi Kurenai, Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress; Uzuki Yuugao, Konoha's Blade Mistress, and Inuzuka Hana and her partners the 3 Haimaru Brothers.

Naruto wasn't bothered that all of them were females since they were close friends with her adopted sister. Anko explained to him that they weren't any men in their groups since they were known as the Ice Princesses of Konoha that perverts would love to get their hands on.

"Nah! I'll make you proud today nee-chan. Besides, jiji told me to go all out so I'm going to be doing just that whether the others like it or not." he paused when he thought of something. "I'm sure that some in class wouldn't be happy seeing the real me in action though." he finished with a snicker. He expects some confrontation to happen in the exams today ever since he decided to start showing off a bit of his abilities in class during his final year in the Academy.

During his final year in the Academy, Naruto decided to show off some of his with the blessing of his jiji. His grades skyrocketed and he was undefeated during their spars. To his annoyance, Uchiha Sasuke started hounding him for information on how he became so strong but he usually avoided such confrontation with a few well-placed words and exiting using Teleportation when he is out of sight.

Of course, since the Uchiha started to make his life a living hell, his fan-club followed suit, especially one Haruno Sakura. She didn't really annoy him much until she lets out that irritating screech of hers. He was tempted so many times to just shut her mouth using his Chakra Magic but Kyuubi stopped that idea since that would reveal his abilities to the loudest girl in class. Not the best way to hide.

He also had fun during the final year in the Academy since he made friends with the clan heirs. He became best friends with Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Hinata. He had a passing acquaintance with Shino but he couldn't blame the lad since the boy was just too silent for his own good – blurting out one or two-word answers if need be. However, he liked the quiet, insect-using boy who became a part of their group though he didn't usually join them during their free time.

The only clan heir that he didn't befriend was Yamanaka Ino, who on their third year in the Academy became a devoted Uchiha fan-girl alongside Sakura who she developed a rivalry with. Of course, being who she was with, Naruto avoided her like the plague.

"Good. I want to see you by the end of the day wearing a Leaf Headband." declared Anko with so much passion that Naruto couldn't help but grin.

Nothing was said anymore after that as both enjoyed the silence of the morning. Naruto ate his ramen breakfast while Anko continued to read the papers. It didn't take long for Naruto to finish his breakfast. He cleaned up after himself and bade farewell to Anko with a kiss on the cheek before teleporting out of the kitchen towards the Academy.

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><p>Naruto reappeared on the rooftop of the Academy since this was the only place he could use his ability without anyone noticing. He looked over the edge and saw an empty area that was perfectly hidden from view. He teleported again and walked towards the front yard of the Konoha Shinobi Academy towards the examination room where the Graduation Class will be taking their tests.<p>

He opened the door to the Testing Area and saw only some of his classmates in attendance. It didn't bother him since it was still early for the exams to start so he walked into the room and up the stairs where Shikamaru was currently taking a nap while Chouji was busy munching on his endless supply of chip.

"Yo!" he greeted his long-time friends.

"Hi Naruto. You're early today. Nice outfit." said Chouji in between eating his chips. Naruto gave him a grin and placed his hands on his hips.

"You like? I made them especially for today. Besides, I need a new outfit when I become a Genin of Konoha." declared Naruto.

"Troublesome blonde. Do you have to be so loud?" complained a lazy Shikamaru who woke up from his nap. Naruto sent him a smirk.

"Lazy as ever Shika. I think you're lazy enough to go to your own funeral." said Naruto with a grin.

"Shut up." said Shikamaru before stretching to get rid of the kinks from his neck and yawned. He eyed Naruto and noticed the guns on his thighs. "What are those things?"

"Oh these?" Naruto pointed towards his weapons. "These are my guns. Guys, meet Ebony the black and Ivory the white."

Chouji looked at the guns with a curious look until a sudden realization sparked in his eyes. "Wait a minute. Those guns look familiar. Aren't those the same as those manga you read a few years back?" he asked incredulously.

Naruto grinned and pulled out Ebony from its holster and held it out in front of Chouji. "Of course. I reversed engineered it from the manga and finally completed these babies 3 years ago. I only now brought them out. No use in hiding them now, right?"

"You mean they actually work?"

"Of course. Let me demonstrate." answered the blonde jinchuriki as he aimed his gun at the vase on the teacher's desk. He channeled a little bit of chakra for a low-powered bullet and pulled the trigger. A small blue chakra bullet shot out of the Ebony's tip and hit the vase causing it to shatter. Everyone looked at the destruction in both awe and fear. "See? It works?"

"Damn! I should get me some of that!" shouted Chouji, his chips forgotten as he stared longingly at the smoking gun on Naruto's grip. Naruto shook his head and replaced the gun back to its holster.

"Sorry Chouji. Clan secret." he apologized to his friend. Seeing the shattered vase on the table, he waved his hand towards it, easily repairing the vase good as new.

This caused everyone jaw to drop while Shikamaru murmured "troublesome" under his breath.

"Okay…. You have to tell me how you did that Naruto." asked the Akimichi.

"That's my bloodline. I don't have much time to explain it to you guys right now but I'll do so in the future. Okay?"

Chouji and Shikamaru shrugged and went back to their respective habits – Shikamaru sleeping and Chouji eating. Naruto just gave them a knowing grin and sat down to beside the lazy Naruto and closed his eyes to relax.

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><p>It was an hour later when Iruka and Mizuki entered the Testing Area to facilitate the Graduation Exam for the Genin hopefuls. The first part was the written exam, which caused a lot of groaning to echo from his classmates. Mizuki distributed the paper which of course made sure that Naruto was the last one to get his. The white-haired instructor left with a glare.<p>

Naruto looked at the paper and noticed something off about it. It was an ordinary test paper but the questions were for Chunnins. He cursed under his breath until he noticed a trace of chakra on the paper in his hands.

"_Genjutsu huh?"_ thought Naruto as he sent a small burst of his own chakra towards the paper, effectively cancelling the illusion, revealing the questions for Genins.

"_**It seems that Mizuki is up to his old tricks again."**_ said Kyuubi who immediately saw the illusion on the paper but kept quiet to see how Naruto would react. Fortunately, his container didn't disappoint.

"_Meh, I wouldn't put it past him to stop now. He's been trying to disrupt my education for the 5 years I've been in the Academy."_ he said while answering the question which he found quite easy thanks to his daily night-time reading in the Konoha Library. Naruto was amused to how much his teacher would go just to fail him only to be thwarted every time by the blonde.

"_**He will realize that his plan failed. I think his next step would be to change your answers so you'll come out with a failing grade."**_ mused Kyuubi in his mindscape.

"_Not if I have anything to say about it."_ grouched Naruto. He finished his test within 30 minutes, giving him the rest of the hour to relax. He used his pen to trace a Stasis Seal on the edge of the paper and pushed a little of his chakra into it to activate. _"There. Now anything that is written in the paper before the seal is placed and activated cannot be changed."_

"_**What seal was that?"**_ the fox asked curiously, he saw the seal Naruto placed on the paper though its use eluded him.

"_That was a Stasis Seal from my dad's book. It preserves the object after the seal is placed. In other words, my answers will stay on the page until I remove the seal. They can add anything on the paper but the original text will stay in place. Ingenious right?"_ explained Naruto with a mental grin.

"_**Indeed. The Yondaime was quite a genius on seals. Did you finish all his books?"**_ asked Kyuubi.

"_Yeah I did but I need to be tested to determine my exact level. The only person who can do that is Ero-sennin but he is currently out of the village."_ said Naruto thinking of the white-haired pervert that he met a year ago after being introduced to him by the Hokage.

He found out that he was his dad's sensei and trained him to become one of the most powerful shinobis in the Elemental Nation. He also discovered that he was his godfather but wasn't able to take care of him due to his duties outside the village as a spymaster.

However, even if he didn't take care of Naruto, he sent enough money for the boy which was the source of his allowance. He forgave him immediately since he was too mature to hold a grudge but he hated that his godfather was a pervert…or a super pervert as he liked to boast out loud in front of Naruto which forced the blonde to hit him on the balls by a low powered bullet from Ivory.

"_**When is he planning to come back?"**_

"_Not sure but jiji told me that the pervert will be returning to Konoha during the Chunnin Exams this year so I guess I'll ask him then to test me to determine my exact rank in Seals."_

Both lapsed into silence to wait for the time for the test to finish, which didn't take long when Iruka called out for everyone to stop and Mizuki to go around picking up their test papers. His eyes bugged out when he got to Naruto and saw the blonde's test papers, complete with answer, which caused him to level an intense glare at a serenely smiling jinchuriki.

When a sullen Mizuki finished getting all the papers, Iruka called out to the class to step outside to the training ground adjoining the Academy for the next phase of the Graduation Exam – Weapons Throwing.

For Naruto, the exam was quite boring. It was quite predictable who would be doing good and bad since he had already determined who will be passing the exams.

Of course, the clan heirs were all safe since they have their own families to train them in the skills needed to pass. Uchiha Sasuke, despite not having his family for training, got a lot of it from random shinobis who offered him a lot of advice for his growth. He also knew that Sakura would be passing as well despite her loud, fan-girlish personality; she had the booksmarts to pass the written exam, average skills in both Taijutsu and weapons. Her chakra control, of course, automatically passed her for the basic Academy jutsu requirement.

"Uzumaki Naruto" Iruka called out.

Naruto pushed himself off the tree he was leaning on and approached his favorite sensei who smile and passed him 10 kunais.

"Okay Naruto. I want you to throw these kunais at the target indicated on the Training Dolls. You will get a point for each kunai that hit the target. Accuracy is the key here. Ready?" dolphin-named Chunnin asked his student.

Naruto nodded at the instructions and spread his feet to center himself. After taking a deep breath, his hands blurred as he threw one kunai after the other, hitting the target at pinpoint accuracy. Thanks to his gun training, his eyesight and accuracy was off the charts. He could easily hit a target at 200 meters with ease using his guns, and half the range for throwing weapons.

Iruka's jaw dropped as Naruto blurred through the kunais and hit the targets dead-on. He shakily congratulated Naruto for a perfect score on Kunai Throwing before handing him 10 shurikens with the same instruction on another doll.

Deciding to go for theatrics this time to get his point across, he held 5 shurikens on each hand and took his stance. He threw all the shurikens on his right with an overhand throw followed immediately by the ones on his left.

All the shurikens hit the middle of the target at once.

Iruka shook his head and gave Naruto a smile. "Great job Naruto. You got a perfect score for both kunai and shuriken. Go back in line for the next part of the exam."

With a grin, Naruto went back into his favorite tree to wait for his turn to be called for the Taijutsu portion of the exam. He noticed that the Uchiha was glaring at him while the rest of the fan-girls were shouting that the blonde cheated. He shrugged at their useless antics and leaned on the tree and closed his eyes.

"_**You couldn't help it, can you?"**_ asked the snickering fox. Naruto already knew what his tenant was talking about.

"_Of course. Did you see their faces? If only I had a camera, I would have taken a picture and have it framed to hang on my study."_ said Naruto with a grin.

"_**What are your plans for the Taijutsu portion of the exam?"**_ asked the fox, curious what the blonde have in store for the instructors who will be conducting the spar.

"_I'm not sure. If it is Iruka-sensei then I'll be toning it down since I don't want to hurt him. However, if it's Mizuki then I think I'll resort to Tai Chi, that is if its allowed."_ mused Naruto.

"_**You should ask Iruka at the start of your match. I would guess that Mizuki will be sparring with you for the exam since he seems to have a beef for you." **_

"_You think?" _Naruto said sarcastically to the fox for stating the obvious.

The Taijutsu Exam caught a little of Naruto's interest since he wanted to observe how his friends would be fairing in their own respective matches.

The rules were quite simple. The Academy instructors will be sparring with them and the Genin hopefuls were required to last for 5 minutes to pass. There was no way for a Genin to beat a trained Chunnin so they made the exam to see if they can stand up to them in a fight.

Naruto grinned when Mizuki announced that they wouldn't have to stick to the Academy Taijutsu if they wanted to use their own, which was a direct jibe to the clan heirs who had their own set of Taijutsu styles to showcase.

"_I guess I will be using Tai Chi after all. Mizuki just dug his own grave" _said Naruto with an evil smirk on his face that caused those around him to step back.

"_**Indeed. Give him hell kit."**_ replied Kyuubi which Naruto gave a nod.

The match was quite interesting to say the least. It seems that his friends were using their own set of Taijutsu style to make the match more interesting.

Shino utilized the basic Academy style but with a slight variation normally used by an Aburame because of their longer reach. He landed a few good hits on Iruka who was able to dodge the rest despite the difference in range. Of course, he survived for 5 minutes and passed.

Chouji, on the other hand, had the finesse of a bulldozer – overpowering his punches which Mizuki carefully dodged since he knew that one hit would practically knock him out because the Akimichi's were well known powerhouses in Taijutsu. The 5 minute mark passed with Chouji passing and Mizuki sighing in relief that he survive without a single bruise.

Sakura was a surprise. She used the Academy Style Taijutsu since she came from a civilian stock. However, it seems that she was able to properly utilize the style and used her small build to avoid the hits from Iruka. Naruto could see that his favorite sensei was taking it easy on the girl much to the blonde's amusement.

It was Hinata's turn on the field and Naruto couldn't help but marvel at the graceful movements of the Juuken. However, there seems to be a solidity to the stance that doesn't feel right for the flexible girl. He also noticed that the Juuken has a passing resemblance to his Tai Chi and noted that it was quite possible that his style was the original form of Juuken but he dismissed it as irrelevant. The match ended with Hinata passing with Iruka's shoulder being immobilized when the girl got lucky enough to get in a hit.

It was Kiba's turn to spar and Naruto grinned at the massacre happening on the field. Due to having a ninken – which was allowed since an Inuzuka fights with one and is part of their Taijutsu – Mizuki was busy trying to dodge twin tornadoes of claws and wind from both Kiba and Akamaru. The match ended when Kiba managed to hit Mizuki on the stomach with a well-placed punch knocking the breath out of him.

Shikamaru's fight was anti-climactic to say the least. Due to his lazy nature, Shika decided to just dodge without bothering to attack. He passed due to technicality since he lasted for the whole 5 minutes without getting hit by Iruka. At the end of the match, Naruto mused if the entire Nara clan was an expert in dodging or maybe it was just one of Shikamaru's quirks.

Next was the Uchiha, the so-called prodigy of their group. To put it simply, Mizuki threw the match by giving the Uchiha a freebie and not bothering to put speed into his attacks. He was felled in 2 minutes by a well-placed uppercut by Sasuke that caused him to win the match. Naruto just grunted at the obvious bias towards the boy. Of course, the Uchiha Fan Club shouted their excitement for their idol's win.

It was supposed to be his turn next but thanks to Mizuki's meddling, Ino was called first and her opponent was Iruka. Naruto had to give it to Mizuki, he played with Iruka very well to make sure that he is Naruto's opponent. Another boring battle later where Ino survived for 5 minutes, it was his turn next.

He immediately went into the ring facing Mizuki when Iruka called him for his turn. Instead of the Academy Taijutsu, Naruto settled into an advanced form Tai Chi that focuses more on defense than offense. Thanks to his training with Anko, Naruto can switch to the different styles of Tai Chi from offense to defense or vice versa with ease.

When Iruka called the match to start, Mizuki immediately lunged toward the blonde at Chunnin level speed to the shock of Iruka but Naruto saw it clearly as if he was standing still thanks to his spars with the Hokage and Anko. He dodged a punch that was aimed for his face by sweeping it aside with a fist and immediately launched a palm thrust counter that hit Mizuki on the chest, pushing him back a few feet.

Naruto gave the gasping Mizuki a grin and decided there and then to play around for a bit. Mizuki attacked with renewed vigor throwing punches and kicks hoping to cause damage to the blonde jinchuriki but Naruto calmly dodge and parried the blows with ease that further enraged the white-haired Chunnin.

Kyuubi told Naruto that he only had 20 seconds left before the match ends, the blonde immediately switched to offense and lunged forward towards his opponent catching him off guard. He jumped when Mizuki launched a clumsy leg swipe and lashed out with a swift right kick that hit the instructor on the face. Not letting up his attack, Naruto used the momentum of the kick to spin and use his left to backhand Mizuki on the same area enough power to throw him out of the ring.

The match ended with the entire student body in total silence. A Genin just knocked a Chunnin out of the ring in two well-placed hits and it was obvious to his friends that Mizuki wasn't holding back. The silence was broken when Iruka announced Naruto as the winner.

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><p><strong>End of Chapter 03. Please Review my beloved readers.<strong>

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><p>(There are some fics in that includes a character bio so the reader can keep track of the changes of the characters in their respective stories. So I borrowed the idea and included one for this fic. ku ku ku ku)<p>

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><p><strong>Character Bio<strong>

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><p><strong>Name:<strong> Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto

**Age:** 13

**Affiliation:** Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Leaves)

**Rank:** Academy Student

**Bloodline:** Chakra Magic (unofficial designation since it's not registered)

**Weapon:** Ebony and Ivory (chakra-powered guns)

*****Techniques:**

- Rapid Fire (low-powered chakra bullets to cause blunt-force trauma)  
>- Twin Explosion (2 guns: overpowered chakra bullet that explodes on contact, each bullet is equal to 5 exploding tags in power)<br>- Rail Gun (1-2 guns: uses electricity produced by lightning chakra to enforce and accelerate the bullet to Kage-level speeds, amplifying its piercing power)

**Weapon:** Chakra Chain Armlets (x2)  
>***<strong>Techniques:<strong>

**Bloodline Abilities:**  
>- Teleportation<br>- Transformation  
>- Creation<br>- Chakra Shield (Semi-Sentient)  
>- Minor Fire Manipulation (Fireballs)<br>- Telekinesis  
>- Flight<p>

**Taijutsu:** Tai Chi

**Ninjutsu:**  
>- Kage Bunshin no Jutsu<br>- Henge no Jutsu  
>- Kawarimi no Jutsu<br>- Futon: Grand Breakthrough  
>- Futon: Wind Blades<p>

**Genjutsu:** No abilities in Genjutsu except for detection and dispelling.

**Mission Stats:**  
>S-Rank: 0<br>A-Rank: 0  
>B-Rank: 0<br>C-Rank: 0  
>D-Rank: 0 <p>


	4. Chapter 4

**Whew, another chapter. My muses are working overtime. But before you read on, check out my replies to the interesting reviews I have from the readers. **

**m'j doom:** Yes, Nen is only mentioned in Hunter X Hunter but I'm sure there are other manga's out there who have variations, like Aura, Psychic, etc.

**CrescentMelody:** No need to worry. I dislike Harem as well. Even if I do have fun reading them (as long as the story checks out), I'm not really good with smut.

**lightningblade49:** Thanks for the compliment. I'm not sure how I can incorporate that ability in the plot but if you have an idea, please let me know.

**konatachan603:** Sorry for the cliffhangers but you can never deny the fact that it makes the story much more interesting. ku ku ku ku ku (creepy but I kinda stuck so meh!)

**Faia Sakura:** I think adding Bleach abilities to Naruto would be overkill at this point. I don't want to make him too strong after all.

**attis:** Naruto with an animagus form? I don't think there's need but it's a cool idea to consider.

**OregonDucks:** He can already turn invisible (refer to where he infiltrated a bandit camp and stole their loot). Again, learning Mind Arts is a cool addition but I don't know how to integrate that into the plot. If you have an idea, let me know.

**Now that's over and done with. On with the story. **

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or the abilities Naruto has that is similar to other works (Hunter X Hunter, Black Cat, Harry Potter, etc.). Give credit to where credit is due.

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><p><em>Previously on Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<em>

_Kyuubi told Naruto that he only had 20 seconds left before the match ends, the blonde immediately switched to offense and lunged forward towards his opponent catching him off guard. He jumped when Mizuki launched a clumsy leg swipe and lashed out with a swift right kick that hit the instructor on the face. Not letting up his attack, Naruto used the momentum of the kick to spin and use his left to backhand Mizuki on the same area enough power to throw him out of the ring. _

_The match ended with the entire student body in total silence. A Genin just knocked a Chunnin out of the ring in two well-placed hits and it was obvious to his friends that Mizuki wasn't holding back. The silence was broken when Iruka announced Naruto as the winner. _

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><p><strong>Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<strong>

**Chapter 04**

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><p>Everyone went back to the Testing Room to await the final portion of Graduation Exam – Ninjutsu. They have to wait awhile because Mizuki needs to be carried to the Nurse's Office to be revived since Naruto's blow to the face shocked the white-haired instructor so much that he lost consciousness though what they didn't know was that Naruto enhanced his strength using Chakra Magic just to get even with the traitorous shinobi.<p>

It was 30 minutes later that Iruka came in with an angry Mizuki in tow, who was quite put out that his plans to fail the blonde jinchuriki backfired on him. The worst part is the humiliation of getting knocked unconscious by an Academy student who hasn't even made Genin yet. He swore revenge and would be damned if he can't fail Naruto on the next part of the exam.

"Quiet everyone!" shouted Iruka. Thankfully, the rowdy students complied. "Thank you. The final portion of your exam is Ninjutsu. You will be asked to come in front to demonstrate the three basic Academy jutsus taught to you during your attendance here in the Konoha Shinobi Academy, namely Henge no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, and Bunshin no Jutsu. When you're name is called, please come to the front and demonstrate your mastery over the basics."

Over the course of the exam, Naruto noticed that a lot of the civilian students failed. Some didn't get the details right in their Henge, some failed to properly Kawarimi themselves with any object in the room, though many were able to master the Bunshin no Jutsu since it didn't take much to create an illusionary clone.

Of course, the clan heirs were properly trained by their parents to master the techniques to make sure that they wouldn't embarrass the clan they are representing. They performed the techniques perfectly except for a few who utilized variations of their family techniques, like Shino who used a Bug Bushin instead of the illusionary one.

Most created just one clone but Sasuke was able to make five of them with ease though Naruto doubted it was because of competency since the Uchiha has above average chakra reserves compared to his classmates due to his constant training, and his lack of control would have been disastrous in creating a single clone. Instead he distributed his energy to create five stable clones instead of an overpowered one which would have doomed him.

As expected, his fan-girls went out all out in their praise to the blonde jinchuriki's amusement.

Naruto's name was called after the self-proclaimed prodigy so he stood up from his seat and walked up to the two instructors who were eyeing him, one with mirth while the other was full of hate. He ignored the latter and chose to give Iruka a smile.

"Okay Naruto. In order to pass this portion of the exam, you need to first use Henge no Jutsu, then Kawarimi, and finally, create a Bunshin. Understood?" asked Iruka in a serious voice with his ever present clipboard in front of him.

"Gotcha Iruka-sensei. Let me start things off. Henge!" shouted Naruto who was suddenly covered in smoke which dissipated after a few seconds to reveal Mitarashi Anko in all her seductive glory – which means that she wasn't wearing much that caused both Iruka and Mizuka to sport a pair of nosebleed from the perverted sight.

Wanting to cause more chaos for his two teachers, Naruto decided to act in an Anko-ish way that would drive his point home. He licked his lips which appeared quite seductive in his Anko disguise. This time, Iruka and Mizuki was propelled off their feet by a massive nosebleed which caused the rest of the class to roar in laughter. Naruto dispelled the Henge and was smirking at the two downed Chunnin.

After getting back on their feet and wiping the excess blood from their noses, the two instructors glared at the blonde for making a fool of themselves.

"Next time, try to pick a more…simple Henge Naruto but good job anyway. That was a…perfect transformation. I wonder how you got the details down so perfectly." asked Iruka with curiosity in voice and a small blush on his cheeks. This caused Naruto to raise an eyebrow. It seems that Iruka has the 'hots' for his adopted sister. Another opportunity for chaos caused the blonde to inwardly smirk.

"Well, she usually hangs out at my place from time to time or we usually spar with each other if time permits. Why do you ask Iruka-sensei?" he innocently asked his mildly blushing instructor. He didn't want to tell people that his adopted sister was living in his soon-to-be clan house since that would cause the rumors to spread like wildfire. He needed to protect his sister's interests after all.

"Oh nothing. Just curious, that's all. Now, do a Kawarimi would you please." Iruka said immediately since the blonde was smirking at him in a manner that made him nervous.

Naruto nodded and flipped through the required seals and released his chakra to replace himself with…someone he had in mind. In Naruto's place was one Mitarashi Anko who was about to remove her coat to reveal her chain mesh shirt underneath which showed a lot of her skin underneath. She wasn't wearing any bra.

"What the fuck am I doing here?" she bellowed while looking around. The girls in the room were giving her a glare while the boys were blushing like mad. Mizuki was sporting a nosebleed while Iruka was as red as a tomato. Anko turned to Iruka, leveling him an accusing glare. "Well?" she asked in a threatening voice that promised untold pain if no answer was given.

But before he could answer, Anko disappeared to reveal a smirking Naruto.

"Damn, I thought she was still in the kitchen but I guess she was about to change to her sleeping clothes. Oh well." said Naruto though the smirk never left his face.

Iruka simply glared at the blonde since he knew that it was done on purpose. "Naruto, for your final test, please do a Bunshin. This time…do it right and no pranks." demanded Iruka in a testy voice.

"Prank? Who me? I never!" Naruto defended himself while putting on his most convincing innocent façade but the slight twitching of his lips told everyone that the blonde was lying through his teeth.

"Just do the test so we can get this over and done with." said Iruka in a tone that promised untold violence if it wasn't followed.

"Fine. You guys can't take a joke. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****.**" shouted Naruto and ten identical Narutos appeared behind the original.

Iruka and Mizuka stared at the clones and the original in shock. The boy, a mere Academy student, just created 10 Shadow Clones without even suffering from exhaustion.

"Uhhh…right…you pass Naruto." stuttered Iruka who wanted to get this day over and done with so he can get wasted to forget the shock this day was giving him. However, Mizuki has other plans.

"Wait, Iruka. Naruto didn't do the required clones. He is supposed to do a Bunshin, not a Kage Bunshin." explained Mizuki in an overly sweet voice.

"What do you mean Mizuki? There's no such rule," he was, however, when Naruto stepped in.

"Well, there's no rule stating that an Academy student can't do Kage Bunshin or any Bunshin for that matter. In fact, if my version of Bunshin is not acceptable then Shino should have failed as well because of the different technique we used. Besides, the Hokage explained to me that I couldn't hope to create a regular Bunshin due to my large chakra reserves unless I have control like that of Tsunade of the Sannin." explained Naruto in a business-like tone.

This got a nod from Iruka and a scowl from Mizuki for having his plan thwarted…again.

"He is correct Mizuki." said Iruka then turned to Naruto and smiled. "Congratulations Naruto. You passed the exam. Please take your headband from the desk and go back to your seat so I can give some last minute instructions."

Naruto happily nodded to Iruka and picked out a black Konoha headband from the pile on the desk before putting it on his head. He was about to go back to his seat when he felt a cold shiver run down his spine and sensed something horrible was about to happen to him. He was interrupted from his thoughts when the door of the Testing Room was blown out of its hinges to reveal a bloodthirsty Anko holding a kunai. She looked around the room until her eyes rested on a certain blonde who was sporting a frightened look. She gave him the most sadistic grin she could muster which practically scared everyone in the room.

"Hold it right there gaki. You have some explaining to do." said Anko with a bloodthirsty smile on her face and licked the tip of her kunai in a way that made quite a lot of men in the room suffer severe tightening of their pants.

Squeaking in fright, Naruto turned to Iruka and blurted out a "Bye" before teleporting himself out of there to the shock of everyone in the room except for the enraged Snake Mistress.

Anko was about to go after the blonde but Iruka stopped her. "Anko-san, please inform Naruto to come here tomorrow for Team Placement at 10:00AM…and don't hurt him too much please?" said Iruka with a sigh. Anko gave Iruka a sweet smile before patting him on the cheeks which caused the Academy instructor to blush bright red.

"Don't worry Iruka-kun. I won't hurt him…much." she said sweetly before using Shunshin to disappear from the room to scour the village for the blonde prankster.

* * *

><p>The Hokage was currently enjoying the feeling of loosening muscles as he lounged around in his massage chair while his clones were working on the day's pile of paperwork. He was brought out of his reverie when a loud wail echoed from the Forest of Death.<p>

**"NO! NOT THERE! NOT THERE! EYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"**

The Hokage looked at the direction of the forest and turned to his crystal ball to see what his favorite blonde was up to. What he saw made him pale and clutched his crotch as if in pain. He shuddered.

"Better him than me." he whispered before deactivating the technique to avoid the gruesome sight.

* * *

><p>Naruto limped his way towards his old classroom for the team placement. Anko's punishment for his little prank yesterday was…inhumane. He would have preferred to be clobbered, battered, bruised, fed to her snake summons, or even suffer from a few puncture wounds here and there. Heck he would even consent to be barbecued since he knew Kyuubi would heal him right as rain after a few hours.<p>

But no! His adopted sister has to be sadistic in her punishment and kicking a male in the groin was obviously the most inhumane, demonic, and downright sadistic punishment any female could inflict on the opposite sex.

This is why he was limping towards his usual seat, thankful that he decided to be VERY early to avoid his peers. He painfully lowered himself on his seat and conjured a very cold ice bag on his privates to dull the pain. He sighed as he felt the numbness pushing a little bit of the pain away, not all of it, but enough to make it more bearable.

Due to his situation, he didn't notice Shikamaru and Chouji approach his favorite spot in the classroom, looking at him in pity.

"Troublesome blonde. If you didn't pull that prank yesterday then you wouldn't be suffering right now." the Nara heir said lazily without any hint of remorse in his voice.

"Yeah man. You must have a death wish to do something like that." said Chouji though there was a slight blush on his face when he remembered Anko's figure yesterday.

Naruto groaned as he leveled his friends with a look that simply said 'drop it or else'.

Both shrugged and immediately sat beside the blonde and kept silent while waiting for the rest of the Genins to arrive so the Team Placement could start.

"_Kyu, why is the healing taking so long?"_ Naruto mentally asked the Kyuubi, wincing slightly when a sudden pain lanced through his body when he shifted in his seat.

"_**I am doing the best I can kit. What that sadistic wench did to you was downright monstrous."**_ said Kyuubi as he shuddered. He might be the all-powerful Kyuubi no Kitsune but he was also a male so he knew how painful it was to be kicked in the balls…multiple times.

"_Is there anyway for me to speed up the process? Maybe use my Chakra Magic to complete heal it or maybe numb the pain?"_ asked a desperate blonde who was clearly in pain.

"_**Ummm… no?" **_

"_Was that a question?"_

"_**Yes…I mean no! There is no way you can use your bloodline for this since you didn't bother to study anatomy. The human body is too complicated to play around with. You might do something wrong and permanently destroy any future chance of ever making your own family."**_ said Kyuubi as he channeled every bit of chakra he could to the afflicted area to heal his container. Naruto winced but the sudden action caused another boout of pain to lance through his body from his groin.

"_Ouch…"_ groaned Naruto.

"_**Man it up kit."**_

"_Why don't you man it up after enduring 30 minutes of being kicked in the balls by a sadistic kunoichi." _

"_**Touche."**_

"_Remind me next time not to play any pranks on Anko-neechan."_ said Naruto as he sighed when he felt a lot of the pain go away as Kyuubi's chakra finally did its magic.

"_**I will. I don't think I will survive another round of her 'punishment'. Even I felt it here in the mindscape. I could have sworn that some of walls here in your mind crack a bit at her onslaught."**_ Kyuubi promised.

It was an hour later when Iruka arrived. When he entered the room, he immediately looked at the blonde with pity on his face. He easily heard the blonde's painful screams from the Forest of Death yesterday and he could only imagine the kind of torture the boy was subjected to. After all, Anko was well known in the Torture and Interrogation Division for being a sadistic interrogator, the best one in the business.

Iruka stepped up to his desk and looked at the gossiping Genins. "Okay everyone. Quiet down." said Iruka who then looked at his favorite blonde at the back of the room. "Are you alright there Naruto?" all he got was a groan that made the entire male population in the room wince since all of them heard Naruto's screams yesterday. "Any questions before I start with the Team Placement?"

"Iruka-sensei, where is Mizuki-sensei? Shouldn't he be here since he is also our instructor and all?" asked a random civilian who passed the exam. Iruka hesitated a bit before giving his answer.

"Mizuki-sensei is currently busy at the moment. He won't be able to attend this meeting but don't worry. He's in great hands." answered Iruka.

The truth of the matter was that Mizuki was apprehended around midnight for stealing the Forbidden Scroll from the Hokage's Office. Unfortunately, or fortunately in this case, Naruto's screams of untold pain caused Mizuki to freeze during his escape that the ANBU who was chasing him caught up and immediately took him into custody. They successfully retrieved the scroll and placed Mizuki under the sadistic hands of Morino Ibiki who instructed the ANBU to search for Anko in the Forest of Death, which was the reason why she stopped her 'punishment' of Naruto. He only prayed that his former co-instructor die a quick death since he knew that the duo could easily prolong the agony to extract as much information as they could from their prisoners.

"Any more questions? No? Then let's start with the Team Placement. Team 1 will be composed of…"

Naruto was lightly listening to Iruka as he listed off the different teams and their respective sensei. It was when he reached Team 7 that Naruto was fully healed thanks to the tireless work of his tenant that he was coherent enough to take note of the teams. He only prayed that his inattentiveness didn't cause him to miss his name being called.

"Team 7 will be composed of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Sai. Your Jounin-sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

This caused Sakura to scream in delight as if she won the lottery. The male population winced at the volume of her scream while females suddenly felt a bout of depression for not being partnered with their idol.

"Iruka-sensei, who's Sai?" asked Sasuke since he didn't know any classmates of his by that name.

"Sai is last year's graduate who was put on reserve since he didn't have any team during their Team Placement. Now he is placed on your team." explained Iruka while reading something from his clipboard that caused him to frown. Sasuke just nodded, accepting the answer, before going back to his brooding.

"Team 8 will be Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuuga Hinata. Your sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai."

"Team 9 is still in circulation from last year's graduates. Team 10 will be Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji. Your sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma." he said as he placed the clipboard on his desk and let his gaze settle on Naruto who was patiently waiting for his name to be called.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage-sama told me that you will need to go to him ASAP for your Team Placement. He didn't tell me why but all I got from him is a note saying 'It's connected to the 'thing' we talked about 3 years ago.'" explained Iruka while giving Naruto a questioning look.

Naruto returned Iruka's questioning stare with one of his own until he remembered his talk with the Hokage the other day concerning a promise when he attains Genin Rank. He finally understood what the Hokage meant and gave Iruka a nod that meant that he understood the message.

"Can I go now Iruka-sensei? I need to go to Hokage-jiji immediately." asked Naruto. Iruka shook his head and addressed the entire class.

"All of you are now Genins of Konoha so do your best and make the village proud. You may now leave for lunch but I expect all of you, except Naruto, to come back in an hour to meet your respective sensei. Dismissed."

Naruto gave Iruka a wave before disappearing from the room with no one the wiser, except for Iruka, Shikamaru, and Chouji who was shocked at the repeat performance of the blonde's strange method of disappearing from the room.

* * *

><p>Naruto reappeared in the Hokage's Office and immediately greeted the old man.<p>

"Hey jiji. I'm here. So what are you planning to do…" he stopped and paled when he saw who was in the room.

In front of the Hokage was his adopted sister, Mitarashi Anko giving him a bloodthirsty grin. Beside her was a beautiful girl, around 4'9", wearing a purple battle kimono. She had brown hair and eyes. From the looks of it, she was around his age.

"H-hi Anko-neechan." stuttered Naruto as he nervously eyed the Snake Mistress whose bloodthirsty grin disappeared though it was replaced with a smirk.

"How are you doing gaki? I noticed that you've healed up quite well." said Anko while eyeing groin with a mischievous look on her face. "Just so you know, if you do something like that again then the repeat performance would be twice as good." she said in a voice that promised delivery. Naruto immediately nodded and sighed that he won't be suffering anytime soon. He could hear Kyuubi giving a silent prayer of thanks to Kami in his mind.

The aged Hokage decided to interrupt the duo's bickering before something else happens.

"Thanks for coming so soon, Naruto-kun. Now I take it that you got my message from Iruka?" Naruto nodded. "Why don't you sit down so that I can tell you about your team."

Naruto sat down beside Anko and faced the Hokage giving him his full attention.

"I think you will be questioning me right about now why you weren't given a team from your group. The reason is quite simple, due to your special abilities; you will be partnered with others who have similar talents. You, Anko, and Yakumo here will be forming an elite team that will be under me. In part, I will be acting as your sensei in this matter. You will receive your missions directly from me and no one else. Any questions?"

Getting a negative from the group, he each passed of them a blue folder and signaled them to open it. Naruto saw that it was a detailed file of him, Anko, and Kurama Yakumo.

"The folders contain your personal files taken from the Shinobi Archive. In other words, I have the only copy of your personal info, skills, and achievements and cannot be accessed by anyone. From today on, you three will be my special squad, the Tokubetsu Brigade. Anko will be your Team Leader and if she is incapacitated or is away on personal missions, Naruto will be the one in charge. Naruto and Yakumo will be registered as a Tokubetsu Genin, while Anko retains her rank as Tokubetsu Jounin. You still lack one more in your group to complete the cell but until I find the perfect one for the position, you are your own group for now." the Hokage finished before putting his pipe on his lips, taking in a few puffs of smoke before blowing it out.

"Uh jiji, what is a Tokubetsu Genin and how is it different from a regular Genin?" asked Naruto who was quite excited for being assigned directly under the Hokage but is not familiar with his new position in the shinobi ranks.

"That is a very good question. A Tokubetsu rank is usually given when an individual displays rare abilities that separate them from the normal shinobi profile. For example, Anko here is a Tokubetsu Jounin since she is a mistress of Torture and Investigation, same with her partner Morino Ibiki. A shinobi with a Tokubetsu rank is only given by the Hokage and is only given when you have skills that will play an integral role in the village." explained the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, can I ask a question?" came the timid voice of Kurama Yakumo. Getting a nod from her leader, she continued. "What makes us so 'special' that you gave Naruto-san and me a Tokubetsu rank."

"Hmmm I think that would be obvious from the file you have in your hands but I'll be more than happy to explain. Let's start with you Yakumo-chan. Your bloodline is mostly devoted to genjutsu, making it easier for your family to utilize this skill. However, you are given a Tokubetsu rank because your bloodline has evolved to turn illusion into reality in terms of Genjutsu. Your case is similar to Naruto-kun here. His bloodline allows him to utilize his rare chakra to bend reality to his will, within reason of course. I'm sure he will be more than happy to demonstrate his bloodline to you during your training session with Anko." said the Hokage but added the last part when a questioning look crossed the girl's face upon the mention of Naruto's bloodline.

"What do you mean exactly when you say that we will play an integral role for the village jiji?" asked the blonde jinchuriki.

"Hmmm it means that you will be taking in missions or tasks that will be of sensitive matter. Your missions profile will be flexible. Tokubetsu Brigade will be assigned different missions that I deem you ready. You may be tasked for assassination, infiltration, back-up, or even as front-line fighters during a war. Your group will be considered as a combination of Tracking, Recon, Attack, and Demolition Squad due to your individual abilities." said the Hokage with a smile on his face since his group were asking the right questions.

"Does this mean that you will be assigning us D-Rank missions?" asked Anko with distaste. The Hokage shook his head.

"No. The purpose of D-Rank missions is to promote teamwork and camaraderie between Genins in a team. However, you, Anko, will be in charge of training each other's skills for both teamwork and bonding. The method is all up to you as long as the missions I will be giving you will be successful."

Anko nodded with a smile on her face. She never did like D-Rank missions since she thought of them as chores instead of actual missions. She vowed to come up with a program so she can test her team's ability to work together, as well as come up with a base for their abilities to fit well with different types of missions.

"Now to explain further how the team will function. Anko specializes in Stealth and Assassination. Her techniques and abilities make her a great close to mid-range fighter. Not to mention that her summons fit well with her line of work. Naruto, on the other hand, is capable of close, mid, to long range fighting because of his skill set making him the most versatile part of your team. Yakumo here will be your Genjutsu specialist and Medic. She was trained for a year by Tsunade when she came back to the village after I summoned her and she ranked Yakumo to be Mid-Chunnin to Low-Jounin in medical skills. The third member I will be putting on your team will serve as your Ninjutsu specialist but I don't have a candidate for the position yet. In lieu of this, all three of you are given permission to recommend anyone you see fit as your third member of the group. If you're lucky, you might find one to fill in the spot before the Chunnin Exams come along in 6 months."

"So when will we be starting missions, Hokage-sama?" asked Anko.

"Hmmmm. I think I'll give you a week to get your team up and ready with their team work. Submit to be a plan of your training program and give me daily reports of their progress. I will call on you if I deem you ready for a mission. Are there any questions?" he asked the group in front of him, quite proud of how each of them turned up.

Anko, Naruto, and Yakumo shook their heads so the Hokage dismissed them to get started with their team meeting.

* * *

><p>Tokubetsu Brigade worked like a well-oiled machine after spending 2 weeks in Anko's training program.<p>

After the meeting with the Hokage, Naruto teleported his team to his house in Training Ground 43 so they could introduce themselves better; though its more like Anko and Naruto introducing themselves to Yakumo since the two have already known each other for more than a year.

Of course, being the owner of the house, Naruto cooked them a tasty lunch which both females complimented him much to his embarassment. Afterwards, they introduced each other to start the team dynamics.

Naruto found out that Yakumo Kurama was the same age as him and born as the sole heir of the Kurama Clan. However, she was possessed by an evil spirit at a young age who sometimes takes control of her body to attack people, usually by utilizing her Genjutsu talents on unsuspecting victims by putting them in the worst forms of mental torture that usually left them with a broken mind. The last straw was when the spirit attacked her Genjutsu teacher, Yuuhi Kurenai, which forced the Hokage to seal her abilities so the demon won't be able to utilize her talents to wreak havoc on her clan. This was also the reason why she was restricted to her room in the Kurama clan compound to avoid hurting the Konoha public.

However, the Hokage brought over Jiraiya to seal the spirit to the deep recesses of her mind with no hope of escape while unsealing her abilities. Sealing was the next best thing since there was no way to drive it out since it was already anchored deep into her soul. After successfully sealing the malignant spirit, she was then trained on the basic shinobi skills before being apprenticed under Tsunade of the Sannin to learn the Medical Arts to serve as both Medic and Genjutsu Support for Tokubetsu Brigade.

After almost 2 years of training, Yakumo's shinobi capabilities was ranked from Mid-Chunnin without her Genjutsu but bumped up to Mid-Jounin when she utilized her abilities. Of course, she demonstrated her unique illusions to Naruto and Anko when they want to know the uniqueness to her bloodline.

They could never find out how they got wet by a mere illusion.

They talked for the rest of the day, mostly playing 20 questions. Anko and Naruto asked her personal questions, as well as those regarding her shinobi training. Yakumo, on the other hand, found Naruto's bloodline interesting so most of her questions were directed at the blonde. Anko didn't seem to mind since she already had the file given to her by the Hokage to peruse later and the 2-week training program will be plenty of time to get to know their new teammate.

The first week of training was more on getting to know each other's abilities better, followed by teamwork exercises where Anko assigned the two to hunt specific animals in the Forest of Death. Yakumo was a bit concerned regarding the location of their training ground but Naruto assured her that the place is a home away from home for both him and Anko. It didn't pacify her but she trusted her teammate enough to teach her the ropes.

Due to the distance between Yakumo's clan compound and Training Ground 44, Naruto decided, with the blessing of the Hokage, to ask Yakumo to move in to his place so they could further improve their team dynamics. The Genjutsu prodigy didn't accept the offer at first but finally relented after two days of going back and forth the training ground to her place.

Going back to training, once their teamwork was acceptable to Anko, they moved to individual skills and how to incorporate their abilities for combo attacks.

Due to the diverse skills the Tokubetsu Brigade had at their disposal, quite a lot of combo attacks have been devised to ensure that they will be ready for any situation they might encounter in the future.

For starters, Anko and Naruto make for a devastating team. They found out that the combination of Tai Chi and Snake Style work well together. The free-flow capability of both styles made it possible for both to go from offense to defense at a shift of a hat. This means that one can go offense while the other sticks with defense or vice versa.

Naruto's accuracy were also put into consideration since the blonde's skills with his guns made it possible to easily hit an opponent even when Anko attacks them close range.

The blonde's chain attacks were also paired off with Yakumo's genjutsu ability. Naruto would disable the enemy while Yakumo would put them in an illusion either to incapacitate or to kill, though the latter was frowned upon by Yakumo since she didn't really like to take a life. Naruto was desensitize of killing because of his constant practice in the Forest of Death though he could never deny the fact that the feeling would be very different when he is forced to take a human's life.

Also, due to his teammates, Naruto was forced to train his abilities to include them. He can now increase the size of his Chakra Shield to a wider area just in case he needed to protect his teammates from harm. He also discovered that he can throw his Chakra Shield in a relative short distance to protect anyone he wished. This was made apparent when Naruto, in desperation, surrounded Yakumo with a shield when she was about to get hit by Anko's snake summon. Yakumo survived the attack, obviously, but the snake sported a headache due to the impact with the impenetrable barrier.

He also improved his Telekinesis to the point that he can now fly along with his teammates though the control would still be up to him. Anko proudly declared that this would greatly cut down on travel time if they need to go out of the village for a mission.

One ability that Naruto have that Anko and Yakumo didn't like was his teleportation. They didn't like the feeling of being squeezed when Naruto practiced with them. It was quite disorienting. The only solution they could come up with was to get used to the feeling until it they could ignore it. In the end, Naruto had fun taking the two for a ride in random locations in Konoha until to the point that they don't stumble when they arrive at their destination.

Weaknesses were also revealed during their 2-week training session.

Anko's main weakness was her bloodlust. Once she gets into a long battle, her control starts to deteriorate to the point that all she thinks about is bring down her opponent, with as much bloodshed as possible.

Yakumo's weakness was her speed though Anko vowed to counter that with more training and Naruto's offer to craft chakra weights for her to assist. Also, it seems that she requires 100% concentration when she casts a Genjutsu on her opponent. Anko chalked it up to lack of experience and promised Yakumo that she will be able to focus her unique bloodline as she progresses as a kunoichi.

Her glaring weakness, however, was her low chakra reserves. Due to her years of confinement, she didn't have enough exercise that her physical energy was at an all time low. Despite the training she underwent with Tsunade, her current reserves are rank up to High Genin. Anko and Naruto assured her that she could easily boost her reserves once she undergoes physical training with them. The glint and determination in the eyes of Anko and Naruto when they mentioned physical training practically scared the shy Kurama.

Naruto's weakness were more on his ability than actual physical skill. For starters, his Transformation ability had one major weakness. It doesn't work on people who had chakra running through their system. This weakness was discovered when he tried to transform Anko's snake summons into a rabbit only to fail. He tried it at Anko, secretly of course, but didn't work. Though Anko found out about it when she felt something alien enter her system. Thankfully, the discovery of the weakness shielded the blonde from getting punished.

Anko determined that chakra acts as a deterrent to Naruto's ability and combined with the conscious control of the tagetr, will depend whether Naruto can change them or not. They theorized that the stronger the human, both chakra and control wise, the harder it is to transform them requiring more power to use. With Naruto's current capabilities, he could easily change a Genin shinobi, have problems with a Chunnin, and impossible on a Jounin due to their experience with chakra.

However, Kyuubi assured him that he would be able to get past the hurdle once his powers grow with age and experience.

* * *

><p>Tokubetsu Brigade was currently on its way to the Hokage Office to pick up their first mission after their 2-week training session. They didn't bother to teleport this time since they could do with the physical exercise, especially Yakumo already begun her physical training – wearing a total of 40 pound chakra weights to be increased by 5 every week. Yakumo complained at first but she relented when Anko and Naruto informed her that this will correct her chakra and speed problems.<p>

She was flabbergasted when Naruto told her that both he and Anko were wearing chakra weights as well since they vowed to continue with physical training despite how strong they are. Naruto is currently at 500 pounds while Anko was at 300 pounds.

Anko, Naruto, and Yakumo entered the Hokage's Office to see the aged leader going through mission scrolls along with his clones.

"Good morning jiji. Long time no see." greeted Naruto. The Hokage looked up from his reading and gave his surrogate grandson a smile.

"Good morning Naruto-kun, Anko, Yakumo-chan. I guess you're here for a mission?" asked the Hokage, already knowing that the team would be coming in today for a mission. Which was one of the reasons why he was personally checking out the requests to find the perfect one for them.

"Correct, Hokage-sama. As Team Leader of Tokubetsu Brigade, I, Mitrashi Anko, would like to request a C or B-Rank mission to start things off with my team." intoned Anko formally which caused the Hokage to smirk. It seems that exposure to both Naruto and Yakumo improved her attitude a bit.

"Hmmm…I already expected that so I have the perfect mission for the group. Since this will be you first mission, you are ordered to bring down a bandit group setting up camp at the border of Fire Country and Tea Country. The Tea Daimyo requested for a team to take care of this problem." explained the Hokage while handing the mission scroll to Anko who accepted it before reading the content.

"Do we have any additional information on the bandit group, Hokage-sama?" asked Anko since the information was lacking on the mission parameters.

"I have no substantial evidence but there are rumors that the bandit group operating there is an organized group calling themselves Bloody Rose. They mostly target wealthy merchants going to and from Tea and Fire Country; and have been causing a lot of both countries' businesses a lot of grief. Your order is to investigate this bandit group, plan an attack, and bring them down. You have 2 weeks. The sooner you get this mission done, the better. This will be classified as a C-Rank mission but can escalate to a B or A-Rank if you encounter missing-nins so please be careful." warned the Hokage since the group was technically in their maiden voyage and only Anko is the only experienced shinobi in the group.

"You have nothing to worry about Hokage-sama. Both Naruto and Yakumo can handle themselves quite well. The 2-week training program yielded good results on both their teamwork and individual skills so they won't have any problem with this mission." declared Anko causing Naruto and Yakumo to stand straight in pride over their Team Leader's praise. This caused the Hokage to give them all a beaming smile.

"Of course, Anko. From the reports you handed to me during your training session, I could say that this mission will be easy for the Tokubetsu Brigade but I want all of you to be careful. Missions have a habit to change in difficulty due to different factors so keep your skills sharp and your mind sharper. I want you all to come back home safe and sound." said the Hokage in a serious tone that brooked no nonsense.

Anko nodded and faced her team who were quite excited with the mission. "Okay team. We have our orders. Time is of the essence. Naruto, I want you to teleport us back to your house so we can restock and bring us to the East Gate afterwards." ordered Anko causing Naruto to nod in affirmative and looked at his smiling surrogate grandfather.

"See you later jiji. Wish us luck." said Naruto with a huge grin on his face as he proceeded to grab his teammates and teleported out of the office for their very first mission.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the Tokubetsu Brigade to stock up on the essentials for their first-ever mission. Of course, they only brought those that Naruto can't create on the fly, like Blood Pills, Chakra Pills, Food, First-Aid Kit, and the likes.<p>

Naruto passed them a pre-prepared scroll containing 50 shurikens, 50 kunais, 100 senbons, and 10 explosive tags from his stocks in the armory. He informed them that he could create more if there's need so he told them to not be thrifty in their use. Anko gave him a grin and promised his adopted brother that he would love to use all of them in one sitting if the situation demands it. Of course, Naruto just rolled his eyes at his adopted sister's thirst for blood.

Once the preparation was complete, Naruto teleported the group to an alley near the East Gate since the blonde jinchuriki didn't want to reveal his abilities as of yet and give his jiji grief. They made their way to the gate where Anko took care of the guards to record their mission.

"Okay team. This is what were going to do. Instead of just flying there to speed things up, we are going to consider this as a training mission due to the time frame assigned to us." she turned to Yakumo. "We are going to run at full speed towards Tea Country. When you get tired, Naruto will take over. Once you get your energy back up, we will continue the sprint. With the weights on, this will increase your speed, strength, and chakra reserves once we arrive at our destination. Understood?"

After a chorus of "Yes" from the two, everyone channeled chakra to their feet and sped off towards Tea Country.

Despite Yakumo's lack of stamina, it took two hours before she was too tired to continue. Naruto took over and cast his Invisibility Spell over them and floated them towards Tea. He stuck to the main road since he didn't want to get lost. Yakumo announced an hour later that she was good for another round of running so Naruto landed, took off the spell, then continued forward using their legs and chakra alone.

They were halfway to their destination when night came so the team decided to make camp. Naruto made himself useful by creating two tents, one for himself and the other for Anko and Yakumo to share. Naruto cooked dinner since he brought plenty of supplies since he knew that Anko hated Ration Bars with a passion.

After dinner, they decided on Yakumo taking the first watch, followed by Naruto, then Anko so they'll be prepared for possible attacks during the cover of the night.

* * *

><p>It took them 3 days to reach the capital of Tea Country. Despite the slight delay, Naruto and Anko could see the difference in Yakumo when they entered the gates. She could now last for 4 hours in full sprint before getting tired. When they reached the capital of Tea, her weights were already at 15 pounds each.<p>

Naruto and Anko marveled at the sudden increase in her stamina so Yakumo explained to them that her apprenticeship under Tsunade made it possible for her to increase her healing rate through excellent chakra control.

Before they could start collecting information on the bandit group, Anko decided to pay the Tea Daimyo a visit for the possibility of getting new information for them to work on. It didn't take long for the guards at the gate to summon a detachment of samurais from the Daimyo Residence to escort the group to meet their leader.

Much to their dismay, no new information was given by the Tea Daimyo though there were rumors from the citizens that the bandits were getting aggressive in their raids and attacks.

Just last week, one of the fisherman's village located at the coast of Tea Country was raided which resulted in some deaths – the two samurai guards acting as guards of the village – and a lot of property damage. Food, jewelries, money, and important documents were taken by the bandits leaving the villagers destitute.

They left the Daimyo Residence an hour later after finalizing the mission parameters with the leader of Tea Country. They decided to rest up for the night and proceed with their information gathering tomorrow at first light. They booked two rooms in a hotel and took to bed early.

The next day was spent gathering information from the citizens. Anko, Naruto, and Yakumo separated after eating their breakfast and donned their disguise to blend in better with the populace. All three of them agreed to meet back at their rooms in the hotel around lunch time for debriefing.

* * *

><p>Tokubetsu Brigade was having a debriefing in Naruto's room after they had a filling lunch in a restaurant adjoining the hotel. As usual, Anko started the sharing of information.<p>

"I didn't get a lot of information but it seems that the bandit group started 3 months ago. They started small at first, robbing small scale merchants that took to the roads from Tea to Fire Country. However, it was only a month ago when their started getting aggressive. According to the old merchant in town, it seems that bandit group has a new leader and recruited the small-time bandit groups in the area, causing their numbers to grow." reported Anko. This caused Naruto to frown.

"Any idea how large the group is Anko-neechan?" asked Naruto.

"I didn't get an exact count but it should be around 200 to 300 bandits." answered Anko.

"I talked to one of the merchants as well. He was lucky to survive the attack but all of his goods were stolen. He reported that the bandit attacked in the middle of the day. It seems that they have some shinobi in their midst since he told me that his carriage was hit by a large fireball which obliterated it in one hit." shared Yakumo who was reading out of a notepad which caused Naruto and Anko to sweatdrop at the sight.

"Hmmm from the size of the fireball, I would say the shinobi who created it should be High-Genin to Mid-Chunnin in strength. If the coach was destroyed in one blast then I would assume that it's the latter." mused Anko then frowned. "The mission just bumped up a grade. If there are bandits with shinobi training in their midst then it would safe to say that they're missing-nins. Depending on their actual numbers, this mission could be an A-Rank."

"So this means that we need to scout the area and locate the camp and infiltrate to find out their exact numbers and strength. It wouldn't do well for us to just barge in without a plan especially if they have missing-nins in their ranks." said Naruto, already formulating a plan to determine the exact location of the bandit camp.

"You have any idea how to find their camp Naru-chan?" Anko said sweetly to her adopted brother who gave her a look.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" growled Naruto. He really hated being called such a childish nickname. Anko grinned.

"I don't know. I lost count after a hundred. Ku ku ku ku" said Anko with a smirk. Naruto gave her a look of disgust

."That so disturbing." said Naruto while giving her a mock glare.

"I know. That's why I do it. Ku ku ku ku."

Before Naruto could fire another retort, Yakumo chose to interrupt.

"Plan now, play later." said Yakumo in a firm tone.

Both immediately stopped their bickering since they didn't want to be subjected to another of Yakumo's horrendous illusions. She did that to them once when their bickering got on her nerves during their training session. She placed them under an illusion – Naruto was getting chased by a very large, scary demon without his weapons and abilities; while Anko was exposed to a very harsh illusion where all her favorite dango stands in Konoha burned to the ground. They immediately learned their lessons right there and then. Never make Yakumo angry for the sake of their mental health.

Naruto coughed, fighting down a shiver as he remembered the mental torture he was subjected to. "Anyway, I have a simple plan to search for the bandit camp. I could make a lot of clones, put them under my invisibility spell, and commanded them to fly around the entirety of Tea Country in a pattern. If they find the camp, dispel to relay the information to me." Naruto outlined his plan to the two.

Anko nodded. "Can you make that many clones? How long would they last since Tea Country is quite big." he asked the blonde Genin.

"I can create a total of 300 overcharged clones without Kyuubi's chakra so I think that would be enough. I need to pump them with a lot of chakra since flying and invisibility takes a lot of energy to pull off with some extra so they can last longer than normal." answered Naruto.

"Why not use Kyuubi's chakra for a boost?" asked Yakumo. The Hokage already briefed her regarding Naruto's tenant and she accepted it without any problems. After all, she had her own inner demon sealed up inside her body so it would be hypocritical of her to judge her teammate.

"I don't want to use my tenant's chakra since that would alert potential shinobi spies in the area. I'll surely get tired using my own but I'm postive that Yakumo-chan can patch me up with her Medical Jutsu." replied Naruto confidently since his teammate is a well-trained medic. Yakumo smiled at the confidence Naruto was showing on her capabilities.

"Good thing I packed up a lot of Chakra Pills then. One pill wouldn't be enough to replenish your reserves Naruto-kun." said Yakumo as she pulled out her medical pouch and counted the number of pills she packed with her.

Anko nodded as she added the finishing touches to the plan.

"Okay. Let's stick with the plan then. After the debriefing, Naruto will exit the capital, go into the forest, create his clones, then teleport back here. Yakumo, you will patch Naruto up when he gets back. He needs to be conscious until one of his clones dispel so he can immediately get the memory without having to dig it up in his mind. I'll go out to mingle with the population to see if I can get more info to help with our mission."

Naruto and Yakumo nodded and prepared to get the mission started.

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter done. Next chapter will be tomorrow or the next day depending on my availability.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Character Bio:<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto

**Age:** 13

**Affiliation:** Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Leaves)

**Rank:** Tokubetsu Genin

**Team Affiliation:** Tokubetsu Brigade

**Teammates:** Mitarashi Anko (Team Leader), Kurama Yakumo

**Bloodline:** Chakra Magic (unofficial designation since it's not registered)

**Weapon:** Ebony and Ivory (chakra-powered guns)

*****Techniques:**

- Rapid Fire (rapid fire of low-powered chakra bullets using Ebony and Ivory together to cause blunt-force trauma - duration depends on Naruto's chakra reserves)  
>- Twin Explosion (2 guns: overpowered chakra bullet that explodes on contact, each bullet is equal to 5 exploding tags in power)<br>- Rail Gun (1-2 guns: uses electricity produced by lightning chakra to enforce and accelerate the bullet to Kage-level speeds, amplifying its piercing power)

**Weapon:** Chakra Chain Armlets (x2)  
>***<strong>Techniques:<strong>

**-**Chain Jail (Uses chakra chains to bind an opponent(s))

**Bloodline Abilities:**  
>- Teleportation (single to mass teleportation - currently maximum of 3 including Naruto himself)<br>- Transformation  
>- Creation<br>- Chakra Shield (semi-automatic defense, area defense, individual-range defense)  
>- Minor Fire Manipulation (Fireballs)<br>- Advanced Telekinesis  
>- Flight (group flight - currently maximum of 3 including Naruto himself)<p>

**Taijutsu:** Tai Chi

**Ninjutsu:**  
>- Kage Bunshin no Jutsu<br>- Henge no Jutsu  
>- Kawarimi no Jutsu<br>- Futon: Grand Breakthrough  
>- Futon: Wind Blades<p>

**Genjutsu:** No abilities in Genjutsu except for detection and dispelling.

**Fuinjutsu:** Untested though already displaying a form of mastery through application of seals on his weapons.

**Mission Stats:**  
>S-Rank: 0<br>A-Rank: 0  
>B-Rank: 0<br>C-Rank: 0  
>D-Rank: 0<p>

**Ability Limitation:**

**Transformation** - cannot transform living beings that has active chakra running through their bodies. Possible but requires more power depending upon target. The more chakra and control the target has, the harder he/she is to transform)


	5. Chapter 5

**m'j doom:** Thanks for the heartwarming review my friend. Such reviews tend to a have a positive effect on my muse, doubling their efforts in providing me with ample material for my stories. I already thought of adding new abilities to Yakumo but I couldn't think of anything that would compliment her so I just left her alone.

Regarding their third teammate, a summoner is a great idea and I can only think of one ability in the Naruto-verse that can do multiple summons. I'm cool with animal summons but I wonder if I can incorporate elemental summoning to the fic. Anyway, keep those ideas coming.

**Wazoo:** I'm not really complicating the mission but every plot in my storyline will spur the character to develop. Besides, it's somewhat boring to read fast-paced battles without any definition at all. Readers tend to visualize what they read and I want to make sure my readers enjoy the battle as they read.

**Faia Sakura:** No, English is not my primary language though I have years of experience in writing articles for part-time work. However, this is my first time writing a story so the tenses tends to get scrambled a bit. Yes, I would like to have a Beta Reader. So…any takers? Ku ku ku ku (sorry, can't help inserting the evil laugh in)

**HelixRosario:** A gunblade is definitely possible but maybe in the future (I already thought about this since FF8 is one of my favorite FF games). Let's face it. Naruto is still young in my fic and has plenty of room to improve and expand his abilities. It's not really that fun to start the story with the main character super-powerful that can bring down S-Class shinobis with just a twitch of his fingers. For me, a good plot allows the character to build his strength through the storyline. So there.

**Attis**: Ku ku ku ku. If you noticed during the creation of the guns, Kaito kept it a secret from his daughter. From Tenten's wordings, she doesn't know what it is. But I'm sure Kaito will be able to recognize his creations and Naruto will have to explain it to him. Ku ku ku ku. I smell confrontation in future chapters.

In regards to your idea for a sword/kenjutsu/weapons user for the fourth member, that can be arranged but he/she doesn't have to be restricted to that specific skill set alone. Ku ku ku ku

**No-name-reviewer:** For starters, readers would automatically look for some lemons when Harem is concerned. I definitely don't have any talent in that field of literature. Really, I tried but my hands and brain seem to freeze when I try to do lemons.

If you read the previous chapters, Naruto couldn't do Elemental Manipulations (ice blast, lightning bolts, etc.) because he doesn't know how. Despite having Chakra Magic at his disposal, he still need to get past the mental restrictions. He needs to know what to do in order to do it. He might get there someday when Kyuubi teaches him Chakra Manipulation since that is his forte but that will be far into the future.

**Shadeirion**: That is really a very good idea. I'll include that in my plot. If you have more ideas, don't be afraid to share them with me. Ku ku ku ku

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or the abilities that character displays that is similar to other anime/mangas. Give credit to where credit is due.

* * *

><p><strong>Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<strong>

**Chapter 05**

* * *

><p>Naruto exited the ornate gates of the Tea with a purpose. While making his way towards one of the denser forests surrounding the capital, he was having a mental conversation with his tenant regarding his plan.<p>

"_**You know, Yakumo-chan has a point. You do need to use my chakra if you want to be successful in this mission."**_ said Kyuubi as he lounged around in Naruto's mindscape, bored out of his mind.

"_I know. We already experimented with this during my Academy days. Your chakra improves the clones durability and power levels but I can't just bring out your chakra here since its too potent. Anyone with the least shinobi training can easily pick it up. That would alert the bandits to our presence and complicate the mission."_ argued Naruto. No matter how much he wanted to use his tenant's more powerful chakra, he needs to secure the smooth operation of his mission first.

"_**True but it doesn't have to be that way you know. Try to think outside the box for a change. Bringing out a lot of my chakra makes it detectable. But if you slowly bring it out with the technique then it's impossible to detect unless you're a sensor." **_Kyuubi paused when an idea hit him_**. "Since you lack the necessary control for short bursts of my chakra, why don't I control the flow for you? Give me the permission to control your chakra flow then I'll inject you with enough of my chakra for your clones. What do you say?"**_

Naruto thought about what Kyuubi proposed and couldn't help but agree that it has merit. His use of the fox's chakra tend to be obvious since he just brings all of it out in one go, well enough of it under Kyuubi's watchful eye so he wont go on a rampage due to the overflow of raw chakra into his coils. Also, the potency of Kyuubi's chakra will boost his clones to last longer and can use their abilities if needed. He decided to agree with the plan.

"_Fine. You win."_ Naruto conceded. _"But let's move away from town to avoid detection. I give you permission to use my senses to scan the surrounding areas to make sure I'm not discovered."_

"_**Great. Let's get a move on then and get this show on the road."**_ declared Kyuubi with a little bit of excitement while sending a little bit of his chakra to connect to Naruto's senses. They practiced this method of sensing others a couple of times during their training session back in the Academy. With the help of Kyuubi, Naruto could literally become a sensor but the relays can only be sorted by Kyuubi since she was in control. Naruto tried it out once and was flooded with so much feedback that he almost blacked out which is why he let Kyuubi take control but he vowed to practice the skill in the future.

It took them an hour to reach a secluded part of the forest and Kyuubi reported that there were no humans in range so they can work in absolute secrecy.

"_Okay Kyuubi. What do I need to do?"_ asked Naruto as he centered himself to prepare for the technique.

"_**How many clones do you need? I suggest 500 clones since you'll be using a bit of my chakra to strengthen them. I'll make sure to only use half of your reserves for the technique and I'll supply the rest." **_said Kyuubi while getting ready to take control of Naruto's chakra coils.

"_Agreed. So I'll just do the technique then?" _Naruto asked as he could feel Kyuubi's consciousness overlapping his own.

"_**Yes. Just do the handseal and I'll mold your chakra and mine. It's up to you to release the pent up energy to create the clones since your body only answers to you. I'll give you a signal when its ready."**_ ordered the fox while starting the molding process and making sure that no chakra leaks from his container's body.

"_Okay then. Here we go."_ said Naruto as he did the seal for Kage Bunshin and felt Kyuubi molding their chakra together for the jutsu.

It was a weird feeling, having someone else control your chakra. He could feel the slow build up of force in his gut. It started off with a tingle, then his stomach warmed up and constricted, after a few more seconds, he could feel heat coursing through his veins towards his hands. His muscles and veins bulged at the sudden strain. He almost lost control of his concentration when the heat became too unbearable.

"_Anytime now Kyu. I don't think I can hold the seal any longer."_ he said with an effort, sweat appearing on his face.

"_**A little bit more, just a bit more, a tiny bit more…"**_ trailed off Kyuubi, monitoring the build-up of energy in his container's body, making sure that they have enough for the technique in a single try. Doing so again might cause irreparable damage to his host.

"_SHUT UP AND JUST DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO YOU DAMNED FOX"_ Naruto mentally shouted since the pressure was getting too much for him to handle, he felt like he was being pulled apart from the inside.

"_**Sheesh. Testy, aren't you? Okay that's it. Almost there…NOW KIT!"**_ shouted Kyuubi in desperation since he could feel Naruto getting ready to blow up from both their chakra's combined.

"**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU**" shouted Naruto and release the technique. The build-up of his and Kyuubi's chakra in his body whooshed out of him in a rush and a lot of clones materialized around him, filling up a good portion of the forest.

Naruto's knees shook before collapsing to the forest floor. Thankfully, one of his clones was able to catch him before he hit the ground. His body felt sore as if being stretched by an invisible force.

"_What was that? I thought you only used half of my chakra but why do I feel exhausted and sore all over?"_ asked Naruto as he greedily inhaled oxygen into his strained lungs.

"_**You're not tired from the technique since I can still feel half of your chakra inside you and it's refilling quite nicely thanks to me. However, the exhaustion you're feeling right now is the stress you encountered when you held the force of both my chakra and yours inside your gut long enough to get the right amount for the number of overpowered clones you need."**_ explained Kyuubi as he examined Naruto's body for any signs of damage.

"_But I've done this technique a lot of times in the past. But I didn't get this tired even with 500 clones."_ exclaimed the blonde jinchuriki who could feel Kyuubi rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"_**Yes, but what we did was quite different from your usual Kage Bunshin. You said that you don't want to be discovered so I concentrated the build up of chakra inside your body until you released the technique. Usually, shinobi techniques requires you to mold and release chakra until you activate it. What we did was to skip the release phase, just molding the chakra inside your body to avoid detection. That is the reason why this version of the Kage Bunshin didn't produce any smoke. Your clones just materialized out of the blue due to the lack of chakra outside your body. To simplify it, imagine a water balloon. You're the rubber that surrounds the balloon and both of our chakra is the water. The more water there is, the more strained the container will be. This is**_ _**why you're exhausted right now. The strain was almost too much for your body to handle."**_

"_What would have happened if I didn't release the chakra in time?"_ asked Naruto, dreading the answer.

"_**Oh nothing much. Just like the balloon, the pressure will build up until your body can't take it anymore. You'll blow up."**_ deadpanned the fox. Naruto paled and became quiet as he realized the implication of both his and the fox's actions.

"_Next time. Tell me before we do anything dangerous. If I blow up. You blow up as well if you remember." _Naruto reminded the fox. The idea of blowing himself up like a balloon didn't appeal much to his self-preservation instincts.

"_**Duh. But it had to be done. Don't worry kit. I wouldn't put you in harms way if I can help it. Now tell your clones what to do since they're wasting daylight."**_ Kyuubi commanded before going to sleep, tired from controlling his and his container's chakra.

Naruto took a few more seconds to catch his second wind then stood up to face his clones who were looking at him with excitement.

"Okay troops. You already know the mission so I want all of you to go invisible and fly around Tea Country. Find the bandit camp. If you discover the location, try to do a little bit of recon but try to avoid detection. Dispel when you get the information." he ordered his clones who just nodded.

The 500 clones in the forest just shimmered out of sight which was a tell-tale sign that they turned invisible and Naruto could easily hear and feel the whoosh of air and the rustling of leaves which was the only indication that his clones utilize their ability to fly out of the forest to follow their creator's commands.

Naruto sighed and teleported out of the forest back to his room at the capital.

* * *

><p>It took 2 days for the clones to yield fruit from their recon trip.<p>

As luck had it, his clones decided to pair off to cover more ground since two pairs of eyes are better than one. The clones who discovered the bandit camp immediately scoped out the place, gathering plenty of information that their creator would need to bring them down. It took a few hours to finish their recon before flying out of the encampment and promptly dispelled themselves to relay the information back to their creator.

Naruto who was enjoying a bowl of ramen back in his hotel room suddenly clutched his head in pain as memories from his two clones flooded his brain.

"Ouch. I didn't know that the backlash of a longer-lasting clone was this painful." he groaned while massaging his temples.

"Neither did I. Don't worry. It's already healing. I'll take care of the memory feedback after you dispel the rest." assured Kyuubi as healed his host's migraine.

Naruto inwardly nodded and closed his eyes. He searched for his connection with his clones. It quite a while since they were quite a distance from the capital and immediately dispelled them. He braced for the memory feedback but only felt a sense of numbness, already thinking that Kyuubi was handling the download of information from his clones.

It took an hour to properly sort through the memories from his clones but he grinned when he got an accurate description of the bandit camp who was taking residence in a large forest to the east of the capital. It seems that the group was bigger than what they originally thought and the presence of missing-nins in the camp worried him a bit. He needed to talk to Anko and Yakumo to start planning. He immediately created two clones and tasked them to look for his teammates who were doing some snooping in town before closing his eyes to take a short rest.

What Naruto didn't know was that Kyuubi withheld some information from one of Naruto's clones. The clone was patrolling the coastline and came in range of a deserted island that Kyuubi found to be very familiar. He vowed to tell Naruto about it after the mission since he didn't want him to get sidetracked.

If his hunch was correct then his container will get a kick out of the objects hidden in that island. Kyuubi grinned before setting his head down on his paws and promptly went to sleep.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Yakumo and Anko to get back to the hotel after being told by Naruto's clones that new information regarding the bandit group have come to light.<p>

Anko barged into the room to see a meditating Naruto in one of the beds in the room. She already knew that Naruto was sorting through the information he got from the clones and from the focused look on his face, there were a lot of information to go through.

"Alright gaki. What did you find out?" asked Anko as she seated herself on the couch while Yakumo sat near the window.

Naruto opened his eyes and gave the two of them a serious look.

"This mission has become more complicated." he declared in a serious voice. "It was just this afternoon that two of my clones discovered the location of the bandit group and our initial estimate of their numbers was faulty."

"So they have less?" asked a hopeful Yakumo. Despite the strength of their abilities and teamwork, their enemies having the superior numbers was never a good thing. Her hope was dashed when Naruto shook his head.

"No. The initial information we have is incorrect. It seems that they branched out and dominated the bandit groups in both Fire and Tea Country into one solidified unit. They have around 700 members." this information caused Anko to grunt in annoyance and Yakumo to gasp. "We're just lucky that there are only 8 shinobis in the group and from what my clones were able to find out, they're strength varies from Low-Genin to Mid-Chunin, except for the leader who is at Low-Jounin at best."

"Any identification?" asked the Snake Mistress curiously.

"I didn't get any names but I was able to determine where they hail from. The leader is from Mist so we can assume that he has a bloodline or something since it takes a lot to subjugate 700 bandits and 7 shinobis despite their ranks. The other 7 is a combination of Iwa, Kumo, and Suna." reported Naruto as he recalled the slashed headbands the missing-nins were wearing. He didn't see the logic in wearing their headbands after becoming missing-nins. That would only make them a target if ever discovered.

"You think we should ask for reinforcements? Despite our individual and team strengths, taking on 700 bandits, not to mention the missing-nins in the group, will be too much for us to handle." mused Yakumo while taking a mental inventory of her medical supplies to see if she had enough for a large battle.

Anko shook his head in negative to Yakumo's plan. "That is not possible and if it was, I don't think we will need reinforcements if we can come up with a solid strategy to take them down. Besides, the bandits are thugs and mercenaries at best without any knowledge of jutsus. Our concern, however, is to bring down the missing-nins before we can concentrate on the rest." explained Anko.

"Why do you think we wouldn't need reinforcements Anko-neechan?" asked Naruto, confused as to why asking for help from the village was impossible since he knew that Konoha has a large shinobi force in their ranks.

"Two reasons. Reason one, most of the teams right now are on their respective missions. Before we left the village, I already read the report from Ibiki that 70% of Konoha Forces are out of the village so I don't think the Hokage will be sending us any back-up even if we request for one. Finally, reason two, we are the Tokubetsu Brigade damnit. The Hokage entrusted us with this mission and I don't intend to let some green-nosed thugs, bandits, and missing-nins get the best of us. We need a plan to get this done and we need to plan now." declared Anko with such determination that it made Naruto smirk and Yakumo to lose whatever doubt she had in her system.

"Anko-neechan's right. I don't think Hokage-jiji would like it if we ask for help since he had such high expectations of us. Besides, their numbers means nothing if we can put our heads together to come up with a workable plan to bring them down." said Naruto with confidence in his voice. Yakumo nodded in agreement.

"I agree. However, our main concern right now is to come up with a solid plan to first incapacitate the missing-nins since they are a threat to us. The bandits we can easily bring down without getting our hands dirty." Yakumo said with a thoughtful expression on her face. Naruto grinned.

"I already have a plan." hee said confidently. When he saw Anko and Yakumo lean slightly towards him with a curious look on their faces. His grin widened and pulled out Ebony from its holster and held it out in front of him. "How do you girls feel about long-range assassination?"

* * *

><p>It took the Tokubetsu Brigade the whole afternoon planning out a strategy to infiltrate and decimate the bandit camp.<p>

Of course, Anko wanted to be straightforward with the plan, mostly unleashing hundreds of Explosive Tags on the unsuspecting group to cause massive destruction. Yakumo immediately shot it down telling her that the wide-scale destruction might cause some of the bandits to escape and hunting them one-by-one will be her job since it was her plan to begin with. Naruto laughed when Anko wrinkled her face in disgust when she realized the flaw in her glorious strategy.

It was 3 hours before midnight that the three found themselves perched on a large tree overlooking the bandit camp hidden under a Genjutsu provided by Yakumo that made them blend in as part of the foliage.

Naruto grudgingly admitted that the group was quite organized for bandits. He assumed that it was due to the renegade Jounin putting a lot of thought into turning his ragtag group of bandits, thugs, mercenaries, and missing-nins into a workable fighting force.

"Any questions regarding the plan?" asked Anko with excitement since she was looking forward to the bloodbath about to occur on the camp below. Naruto and Yakumo shook their heads indicating that they already know what to do. Anko nodded then jumped down from her perch to get started on her part of the plan.

Naruto looked at Yakumo. "Are you ready, Yakumo-chan?" he asked his teammate.

"Ready and waiting Naruto-san. Let's get this show on the road. The faster we get this done, the better. I want to relax in our hotel room before we go back to Konoha." said Yakumo in a determined voice. Naruto grinned since he knew that the Genjutsu prodigy was excited to get their first mission done. He pulled out Ebony and slowly charged it with Lightning Chakra to get his first assassination mission done.

"Great. Once the leader is down, I'll teleport us to the middle of the camp with shields up. You put a Genjutsu on us to make sure that we're undetected. Anko-neechan will come barging in from the front while I take down the rest. Just make sure you tell me in advance if your running our of chakra alright?"

Seeing Yakumo nod, he carefully hefted his gun and pointed it to the camp and taking careful aim of the Jounin who was currently enjoying a drinking spree with the rest of his missing-nin buddies. Grinning at finding his target, he lifted his gun and took aim. He was lucky that the target was within his range or he would have had problems making sure that his shot would hit its mark.

Sensing the electricity in Ebony was at full capacity, he took careful aim while putting chakra on the sole of his feet so he won't be thrown back by the recoil of his technique. After the preparations were finished, he took a deep breath and steadied his hands before pulling back on the trigger.

The electricity-reinforced bullet shot out from Ebony's tip at blazing Kage-level speed leaving a trail of light that everyone could see. Too bad that the bullet was faster than the Jounin so he was caught unawares when a the bullet pierced his head and exited at the back, hitting the ground behind him causing a small explosion. Naruto's target dropped his head on the table with a loud thud, dead, causing his drinking buddies to call out in alarm.

A loud explosion at the entrance of the camp was their only warning that they were under attack.

* * *

><p>Anko summoned all kinds of man-sized snakes to encircle the camp. She was lucky that the encampment had a tall fence surrounding it or the constant appearance of smoke from her summoning would have alerted everyone of her presence. After summoning 2 dozen snakes to make sure that none escaped the purge, she summoned a much bigger snake that appeared underneath her feet, effectively placing her on its head.<p>

She grinned and pulled out a kunai from her coat and wrapped an explosive tag around the hilt. It was one of the few experimental tags Naruto perfected during his studies in Fuuinjutsu. Unlike the normal Explosive Tag sold in shinobi stores, this one was far more powerful.

She looked up to the tree Naruto and Yakumo was perched, waiting for the signal to start her role in the attack. It was a minute later when she felt the discharge of Naruto's Rail Gun and saw the clear trail of chakra that connected the bullet to the gun.

With a large grin, she patted the snake on the head signaling it to advance and threw the explosive kunai at the large gate. She channeled a little bit of chakra through a Ram Seal and detonated the explosive on the kunai with a large boom that blew the gate to splinters.

Using that as a signal, the large snake rushed off to the downed gate for a late night snack with a grinning Anko on its head.

* * *

><p>After the successful assassination attempt, Naruto grabbed Yakumo by the shoulder and teleported the both of them to the middle of the camp. Once there, the blonde immediately put up his shield at full power to make sure nothing can pierce it while Yakumo flipped through a series of seals before calling out her technique. "<strong>Ninpo: Mirage of the One-Eyed God"<strong> she whispered and released the technique. Naruto's shield shimmered a dull orange glow before returning to its normal bluish hue.

The genjutsu was a few of Yakumo's creation that can be collaborated with Naruto's shield. Using the Chakra shield as a medium, the genjutsu will constantly release a pulse of chakra that disrupts everyone's perception, making it look as if the enemy is looking at a hazy image, like a mirage. It doesn't really block out their presence but the hazy effect can make it difficult for people to attack them using projectiles and range jutsus. It is a supplementary technique to further protect those inside the shield just in case a powerful technique is flung their way that the shield cannot withstand.

Naruto saw the activation of the technique so he immediately pulled out Ivory from its holster. He charged both guns with a constant stream of chakra and started raining bullets on bandits with pinpoint accuracy, hitting various spots to either incapacitate or kill whichever comes first. Thanks to Naruto's accurate aim, no bandit was able to escape the bullet shower except for a few who used their comrades as a shield against the range attack.

* * *

><p>Anko threw a kunai that hit a bandit right on the neck, effectively killing him. She ducked just in time to evade a katana swing from behind that aimed to behead her before launching a mule kick that hit said attacker on the chest, effectively throwing him towards a very hungry snake who just opened its mouth and accepted the morsel with delight before moving on to another victim.<p>

Grinning, Anko pulled out two kunais and flipped them on a reverse grip, one in each hand, before wading through the group of bandits in front of her, slashing and stabbing with obvious relish as blood spurted from their wounds. Her thirst for battle increased with every bandit she killed.

She was brought out of her bloodlust when a chakra bullet whizzed past her head, just missing her ear by an inch, effectively killing a bandit on the face who was sneaking behind her hoping to land a blow. Anko looked up to see Naruto pointing a smoking Ivory at her with the tip smoking from the bullet discharge.

"You might want to watch your back, Anko-neechan." warned Naruto as he switched targets and started raining bullets on the bandits making sure that they don't get to reach the boundary of his shield.

"Thanks gaki. Phase 2?" asked Anko as she threw one of the kunai she was holding to her right, hitting a Kumo missing-nin right in the face. Naruto nodded, absently noting that the number of missing-nins in the camp was effectively cut down to six.

"Might as well. Are you ready Yakumo-chan?" he asked the Genjutsu prodigy without looking at her as he continued to rain bullets on the charging thugs.

"Ready Naruto-san." she said as she released her hold on her technique to start a new set of seals while gathering as much chakra as she could before releasing it in a wave around her. **"Ninpo: Feathers of Morpheus"**

The deep-sleep genjutsu appeared all over the bandit camp in the form of feathers. Every bandit that was hit a flowing feather immediately fell into a deep sleep, never to wake up until such time Yakumo chose to release them from its hold.

Thanks to shield that Naruto threw at Anko when Yakumo released her technique, she was unaffected. When the Genjutsu took effect, Naruto immediately dropped the shield and nodded to Anko and Yakumo before all three of them took off towards the east side of the camp where the rest of the missing-nins were last seen.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at their location to see the remaining Nuke-nins putting coins, scrolls, and other valuables on a large chest. Naruto just raised an eyebrow at the cowardly sight.

"My my, I never knew missing-nins could stoop so low. You bail out on your comrades at the first sign of attack or was it because your leader was killed in front of you?" Naruto asked sarcastically as he returned Ebony and Ivory back into their respective holsters.

One of the shinobis wearing a slashed Iwa headband glared at Naruto while the others were eyeing the three Konoha-nin with apprehension. "Shut up, gaki or I'll cut that tongue of yours. Tell me why you Konoha-nins attacked our camp."

Anko, Naruto, and Yakumo just gave the ex-Iwa shinobi an incredulous stare for asking such an idiotic question.

"Are you retarded or just plain dumb? Dude, your group attacked a large number of merchants between Tea and Fire Country. Finally the Tea Daimyo couldn't let this go so he hired us to take you down. I think that would be obvious." Naruto said sarcastically which caused the shinobi to growl in annoyance.

Naruto gave the missing-nin a smirk before launching a kunai to start the attack. The nuke-nins scattered but three of them were taken down swiftly with the collaboration of Naruto's Chain Jail which he immediately materialized after launching the kunai to effectively wrap the three who wasn't fast enough to escape in time.

Anko and Yakumo immediately descended on the trapped trio, hitting them on the back of the head, effectively knocking them out.

"That was anti-climactic." Anko said in disgust as Naruto dematerialized the chains from the unconscious group. Naruto gave her a grin while Yakumo leveled her a neutral stare. "What? We went to all that trouble incapacitating the thugs so we can have a decent fight with them." Anko defended herself with a pout on her face.

"You can't expect everything to go according to plan Anko-sensei. Besides, its better this way. Less bloodshed." said Yakumo as she proceeded to tie up the prisoners while Anko was looking at her as if she was crazy who the Genjutsu Prodigy just ignored. "There's still three of them you know." Yakumo reminded Anko just to stop her from staring.

"I know so let's get going shall we." said Anko cheerfully before speeding to her left where one of the missing-nins was headed. Naruto didn't know whether it was luck or deliberate but his neechan just took off after the escapee who was clearly stronger than the rest.

Naruto looked at Yakumo who nodded at him knowing what they were about to do. Both teamed up and followed the two other missing-nins, channeling chakra to their feet to catch up to their prey.

* * *

><p>It took her 5 minutes to saw his target jumping from tree to tree in an effort to get away from her. Anko immediately dropped her weights, and with a sudden burst of speed, appeared in front of her fleeing quarry.<p>

Deciding to be direct, she threw a chakra-enhanced kunai at the missing-nin who was able to dodge in time despite his surprise of seeing his pursuer seemingly to materialize in front of him. Both landed on a clearing in the forest who Anko noted to be a perfect place for a showdown.

The ex-Iwa shinobi sneered "I should feel lucky that Konoha sent one of their best to bring down our group. Mitarashi Anko, Snake Mistress of Konohagakure no Sato."

Anko just smirked, pulling out a kunai and giving the tip of it a lick. "My my my. I never knew I was popular. Now why don't you shut up and give me a fight to remember." she purred before flicking her kunai to the nin and flipping through hand seals. **"Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu"**. The single kunai turned to ten which caused the ex-Iwa nin's eyes to bulge.

Flipping through his own set of seals, he slammed his right hand on the ground and shouted. **"Doton: Mud Wall"**

A shield of solidified mud appeared in front of the nin catching all the kunais, effectively protecting him from the barrage. After the attack, he cancelled the technique and brought out his own kunai and lunged towards a grinning Anko who also took out a kunai before flipping it in a reverse grip. Both kunais clashed causing sparks to fly upon impact.

Caught in a stalemate, the ex-Iwa nin launched a low blow using his free hand towards Anko's stomach. She saw the attack easily and swept it aside with her own free hand.

Deciding to end the stalemate, Anko flipped backwards, with a foot extended that hit the unsuspecting shinobi on the chin, disorienting him. Seeing this as a chance for an attack, Anko recovered from her flip and lunged to hit her opponent with a palm strike to the chest that pushed him back a few feet.

The ex-Iwa nin recovered from the attack and glared at his opponent. He wiped the blood from the side of his mouth and sneered. "Is that all you got snake bitch?" he taunted Anko while assessing the damage caused by the attack. He was thankful that the Snake Jounin didn't bother to lace her attack with chakra or he would be dead by now.

Not rising to the taunt, Anko grinned when she saw something hidden in the shadow of the trees. She pointed behind the shinobi. "Nope but you might want to look behind you." she informed him in a sickly sweet voice. The missing-nin scoffed.

"As if I'm going to fall for that trick, bitch. Why don't you try…" he stopped when he felt something behind him. He quickly turned to see a very large snake baring its fangs at him. The fangs were dripping a purple venom that looked deadly. "Shit." he immediately dodged to the side when the snake lunged at him but he didn't get away fast enough because he was suddenly hit on the ribs by the snake's tail that propelled him towards Anko face first.

Anko saw the incoming nin and hit him full in the face with a perfectly-timed roundhouse kick. The kick was enhanced with chakra so the nin was thrown to the side by the force. The kick was powerful and it hurts a lot, but his sudden impact with a tree caused a lot of his bones to break. He tried to ignore the pain and stand up but Anko materialized in front of him with an axe kick that nailed him right on the head that knocked him out.

Anko looked at her downed opponent and couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief. She was hoping to get a good fight out of him since she singled him out to be stronger than the rest but it seems that she was wrong. She sighed and dismissed her summon before it could gobble up the ex-Iwa nin and proceeded to tie him up before bringing the baggage back to camp.

* * *

><p>The missing-nins were resting in a clearing a few miles east of the now destroyed bandit camp.<p>

"You think we lost them, Shinji?" asked the red-haired Suna missing-nin.

"I think we did Akido." said the dark-haired man wearing a slash Suna headband. "Now shut up and rest. We'll leave once we catch our second wind. Besides…" he didn't get to continue when he was hit in the shoulder by something that sent electricity throughout his body leaving him numb and useless.

Akido saw the attack hit his partner and tracked it to the direction of the woods ahead of them. Two figures wearing Konoha headbands materialized from the darkness.

"See? I told you I can hit one of them with my new attack. It only proves to show that my new Stun Bullet works. It's not good to doubt your teammate's skill you know." the blonde-haired shinobi pouted to his female partner.

"Shut up Naruto-kun. How am I supposed to know the extent of your abilities when you haven't even showed it to us yet. Sheesh. Sometimes I swear you're worst than Anko-sensei." said the female with mild disgust in her tone.

"She is my sister after all, Yakumo-chan." Naruto said with a shrug before turning his attention back to the two missing-nin – one unable to move because of the electricity disrupting his motor functions, while the other one was holding a kunai and eyeing them apprehensively.

"Hi there. Why don't you be a good missing-nin and surrender to us and call it a day? What do you say?" asked Naruto in a child-like voice. Yakumo just sighed over his friends antics.

"We'll never surrender. Why don't YOU surrender instead. Kid's like you shouldn't be playing shinobis. You might get killed." said Akido with a smirk though deep inside he was quaking because these two just brought down their bandit group with a well-coordinated attack.

"Who said we're playing shinobi? We ARE shinobi, idiot." said Yakumo who was clearly annoyed over something. Naruto gave her a questioning look.

"What got your panties in a twist?" he asked his teammate. She's been moody since the start of the mission and he wanted to now the reason for it. Must be one of those 'time of the month' thing his adopted sister mentioned.

He shuddered when he remembered Anko almost turning him into a pincushion during her 'time of the month' after being a victim of a prank. He made a mental note then to be wary of any females during their moody day.

"If you didn't know. I'm tired, hungry, and dirty. I want to go back to the hotel, take a long hot shower, wash my hair, eat something sweet before going to bed. We have to chase them all this way so I'm really not in the mood." growled Yakumo since she wasn't really in the mood right now. She almost exhausted all her chakra after casting two A-Rank genjutsu and running through the woods wasn't helping her reserves. She was tired and annoyed. Not a good combination for any sane man in the vicinity.

"Fine fine. Why don't you sit this one out and I'll take care of everything." Naruto hastily said since he knew an annoyed Yakumo was NOT a good thing for his health. Said woman just gave him a sweet smile before moving to a tree and sat underneath it. Naruto just shook his head in exasperation.

"Sometimes I think Shika has a point. Women ARE troublesome." he murmured to himself.

"What did you say, Naruto-kun?" Yakumo said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Nothing, nothing at all Yakumo-chan. I said that I better take care of this quickly so you we can go back to the hotel to do what you want to do."

"Good." she said then waved his hand to Naruto in a dismissing manner. "Carry on."

Naruto and Akido sweatdropped at the sight before turning to each other.

"So…" Naruto trailed off.

"I guess you and me are going to fight huh?" Akido asked.

"Seems like it." said Naruto while activating his Chain Jail and swinging it at the missing-nin.

Akido saw the attack and was astonished at the technique. Good thing he was prepared so he was able to dodge it easily by jumping to the side.

He pulled out three kunais from his pouch and threw it at Naruto who retracted his chains and activated the one on his other arm. He lashed both out in tandem, forming a moving barrier that easily blocked the projectiles.

Not wasting any of the movement, Naruto used the momentum from his maneuver and lashed out with surprising strength and speed towards the missing nin who barely dodged in time though it was quite obvious that the attack hit him on the arm after seeing him wince.

Not missing a beat, Naruto fell into a rhythm and weaved the chains in an intricate performance of death. Not stopping the dance of chains, Naruto lunged towards the missing-nin, hell-bent in turning him into mush.

In a prolonged fight, Naruto won due to his insane stamina and speed. Due to a misstep during a dodge, Naruto was able to catch the Suna-nin with a chakra-powered chain on the face that threw him to the side but stopped him with another chain by grabbing him at the waist and threw him up into the air.

Naruto immediately channeled chakra to his feet and jumped after his opponent and started to attack using his chains, hitting the nin with multiple attacks that hit vital spots, breaking bones, and causing blunt-force trauma that would require a skilled medic-nin to heal. He ended the dance with an axe-kick that hit the nin on the stomach causing him to plummet back to the ground, hitting it with a resounding crash.

Naruto fell back down to the ground and looked at his unconscious opponent in the middle of a crater. "Well, that's that. For missing-nins, they sure are weak." he commented before tying the unconscious nin with a conjured ninja wire laced with chakra for added durability. He turned to the other nin and tied him up as well. He observed the twitching and nodded in self-congratulation. "I knew inventing that skill was going to pay off sooner or later."

"Are you done yet?" came the voice of Yakumo who was still relaxing underneath the tree. Naruto just gave her a long look.

"Yes, I'm done. Now come over here so I can Teleport us back and rendezvous with Anko-neechan. I know her well enough that she should be done with her opponent right now." said the blonde as he grabbed the twitching prisoner and threw him beside his unconscious comrade.

Naruto grabbed both their shoulders when he felt Yakumo's hand on his own. Without another word, he teleported out of the clearing back to the bandit camp with his passengers.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Tokubetsu Brigade to clean up the bandit camp. Naruto happily bound all the bandits with conjured ropes, not bothering to use chakra this time since they weren't that strong to begin with. All-in-all, only a few of the bandits were killed since he was using low-powered bullets that was only aimed to stun or knock them unconscious. However, they were a few bandits that died due to Anko's sadistic attack method.<p>

After tying up the bandits, the three decided to closely investigate the camp just in case they forgot something. It took them an hour with a dozen Shadow Clones from Naruto to search the entire camp and placed all the loot in the middle for sorting.

After the inventory, they were able to salvage more than a million ryo, some jutsu scrolls, food items, jewelries, some really expensive silks, weapons, and some sensitive documents that will be automatically turned over to the Tea Daimyo. Since it wasn't part of the contract, Tokubetsu Brigade decided to keep the loot unless asked for it by their client.

A happy Anko, Naruto, and Yakumo arrived at the gate of the capital the morning the next day with 300 Naruto clones bringing back the bandits and missing-nins. Anko immediately had a meeting with the Daimyo and finalized the mission.

It was an hour later that she left the Daimyo Residence to meet with her team in a restaurant and relayed to them the conversation during a hearty meal.

First, the Daimyo already signed the mission scroll to signify the completion of the contract along with a hefty sum for a B-Rank mission due to the presence of the missing-nin. Also, the Tea Daimyo agreed that they don't have the facility to house the missing-nins so he asked Anko to bring them back with her back to the Leaf for interrogation before being sent back to their respective countries. The only stipulation to this request is to pass on any sensitive information that directly concerns Tea which Anko immediately agreed.

Also, the Snake Mistress didn't bother to mention about the loot since it wasn't up to her to tell the client about it. Sometimes, being a Torture and Interrogation Specialist had its perks, especially playing with words to get what she wants.

* * *

><p>The Tokubetsu Brigade lounged around in Tea Country for 2 more days to relax which wasn't up for debate no matter how Anko and Naruto protested since Yakumo wanted to enjoy Tea for a bit since it was a well-known tourist attraction. Also, the threat of a hellish genjutsu from the illusion specialist forced them to agree.<p>

They really don't want to get into Yakumo's bad side.

The 2 days was spent having fun. Since there was a festival being held in the capital, the trio played games, the girls shopped with abandon since they have money to spare (taken from the bandits), eat at different restaurants (which Naruto found out that there are better foods than ramen in taste but nothing could every replace his addiction for the noodle goodness), and of course, enjoyed some quality time in the hot springs to rest their weary muscles.

After their short-vacation, Naruto teleported them out of Tea back to Fire Country.

* * *

><p>Naruto immediately slumped to the ground in exhaustion after arriving a mile outside Konoha.<p>

"Damn. This is the first time I tried doing mass teleportation at such a long distance. Didn't think it would take that much chakra to do." he gasped out, already feeling Kyuubi slowly refilling his reserves since the fox didn't want to do so in one go that might damage Naruto's already strained coils.

Yakumo immediately fished a Chakra Pill from her pouch and handed it to the blonde who gratefully accepted it before popping it into his mouth. He could already feel a third of his chakra being refilled added to the Kyuubi's efforts.

"Consider it as a learning experience gaki." said Anko as she plopped beside the blonde and unsealed three sticks of dango she bought in Tea. She passed one to Naruto and another to Yakumo, both gratefully accepted the treat. "You think you're up for another round of teleportation gaki? We're almost at the gates."

Naruto gave her a glare before biting down on a piece of dango and said "Did someone ever tell you that you're lazy neechan?"

Anko nodded and grinned. "Yep. Kure-chan and Asuma-kun keeps telling me that but I tend not to listen. Besides, I want to reach the village as soon as possible so we can give our report. I already have a few training program in mind to further improve our skills. I need to scout around for our fourth member as well. I have a few people in mind but I'm not sure if they want to join." said Anko before finishing up the rest of her dango and bringing out another stick. The mention of a fourth teammate perked Naruto and Yakumo's interest though the latter voiced it out.

"Really Anko-sensei?" said Yakumo in excitement. She liked her teammates a lot but it was somewhat boring with only three of them in it. After being a recluse in the Kurama Clan house for 8 years, she really wanted to meet a lot of people and the only way to do so is through her team. "Who do you have in mind?" she asked curiously. Anko just wagged a finger at her.

"That would be telling. The only thing I can tell you is I'm looking for people with abilities that will compliment the team. First, I need to find someone with a Genin rank so you two will be allowed to attend the Chunnin exam in 3 months time. Konoha will be the venue this time so I really wanted you guys to join. I also want to talk to Hokage-sama for the possibility of adding more people to the group for diversity. Besides, naming our group a 'brigade' with only four people in it doesn't sound right." she said the last part with a frown.

Naruto and Yakumo nodded in understanding. They might not voice it out but having more people in the team would be more fun, especially on missions. Also, the more people they have, the more missions they could handle. Which was a good thing since all three of them wanted to promote their name among the shinobi ranks.

* * *

><p>Naruto rested for half an hour before he teleported the group to the East Gate.<p>

Anko handled the guards check their group in before Naruto grabbed them again to teleport to the Hokage's Office to the shock of anyone who saw it.

Naruto, Anko, and Yakumo appeared inside the Hokage Office much to the shock of Team 7 and their sensei, Iruka, and the Hokage. The Uchiha didn't notice his arrival since he was demanding for a high rank mission from the old man telling him that D-Ranks were chores and is not a fitting mission for an Uchiha Elite like him.

Naruto immediately checked the room and came up with a conclusion on what was happening. From the looks of things, the Uchiha was demanding a C-Rank mission from the Hokage who looked quite put out with the annoying Genin and looked as if he wanted to strangle him.

Deciding to diffuse the situation, Anko decided to start things.

"Hokage-sama, Tokubetsu Brigade under Mitarashi Anko returning from a C-Rank turned B-Rank mission." declared Anko which shocked everyone in the room for various reasons.

The Genins of Team 7 because their classmate belonged to a team despite the fact that he wasn't assigned one back during Team Placement and already partook a C-Rank mission; Kakashi who already heard about the Tokubetsu Brigade from Kurenai and didn't expect Naruto to be part of it, and the Hokage who was shocked that a simple C-Rank mission turned into a serious B-Rank.

"I want you to debrief me regarding the sudden change in mission rankings Anko but I need to get this done first." said the Hokage before turning to Kakashi who was reading an orange book. "Kakashi, do you think that your team is ready for a C-Rank mission. It's been less than 2 week since their Graduation?"

Kakashi looked up from his reading. "I think they are ready, Hokage-sama. Their teamwork might need a little bit more work but I'll be around to help them just in case." Kakashi lazily drawled put before going back to his reading.

The Hokage hesitantly nodded before gesturing to Iruka who also hesitantly passed to him a C-Rank mission scroll. The Hokage tossed the scroll to Kakashi before addressing Team 7.

"This will be a C-Rank escort mission to Wave Country. Your client, the bridge builder Tazuna, requires an escort from Konoha to Wave from bandits. Team 7 is instructed to protect him UNTIL he finishes his bridge. Any questions? No? Good. Team 7 dismissed." ordered the old leader in a voice that brooked no nonsense, which was solely aimed at a somewhat appeased Uchiha who was glaring at his surrogate grandson for reasons he can only guess.

After Team 7 left the room, the Sandaime immediately set up a Privacy Barrier to make sure that their conversations weren't heard. Iruka was somewhat surprised over the precaution but decided to stay silent and listen.

"So Anko, tell me about your mission." ordered the Hokage.

After passing the signed mission scroll to the aged leader, Anko immediately went into a detailed report about the mission, with some input from Naruto and Yakumo regarding their respective parts.

Iruka was shocked that his favorite blonde student was now part of an exclusive group directly under the Hokage. He heard rumors being circulated around the Chunnin and Jounin ranks about a group directly under the Hokage. What he didn't expect was Naruto to be part of said group.

What shocked him the most, however, was the mission. From a C-Rank mission to exterminate a bandit camp, it became a B-Rank mission because of the larger bandit force they were forced to put down, as well as the missing-nins included in the package. He couldn't help but admire the various abilities and strategies Naruto employed with his team and could help but be proud of his favorite student. He did blush from time to time as his gaze lingered on a seductive looking Anko and observed the by-play of emotions on her face.

This wasn't lost on Naruto who was starting to plot on how to get his favorite sensei to ask his neechan for a date. He couldn't think of a better man for her.

At the end of the report, a shocked yet proud Hokage was looking at his team with a beaming smile.

"I would say that the Tokubetsu Brigade is a booming success. I expected you to arrive in a few days but you were able to finish the mission before the allotted time despite the sudden increase in difficulty." said the Hokage with a proud look on his face. "For a successful mission, I give Tokubetsu Brigade two days to rest up before coming back for another. You can do whatever you want with your well-deserved vacation. Anko, I expect half of the 'loot' tomorrow since we will be using that to fund the expansion of the brigade. You might as well give me the proposal for said expansion since I am most interested in what you cooked up. Your pay will be in your respective accounts tomorrow. That's all for now. You're all dismissed except you Anko. We have something else to discuss."

Anko nodded and turned to her team. "Okay. You're free for the day. We will have a 2-day training period starting tomorrow so make sure that you get a good nights rest."

Naruto and Yakumo nodded before teleporting himself and his teammate out of the room leaving three happy people behind.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 05. Please send me your reviewscomments/flames/violent reactions. All are welcome.**

* * *

><p><strong>Character Bio:<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto

**Age:** 13

**Affiliation:** Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Leaves)

**Rank:** Tokubetsu Genin

**Team Affiliation:** Tokubetsu Brigade

**Teammates:** Mitarashi Anko (Team Leader), Kurama Yakumo

**Bloodline:** Chakra Magic (unofficial designation since it's not registered)

**Weapon:** Ebony and Ivory (chakra-powered guns)

*****Techniques:**

- Rapid Fire (rapid fire of low-powered chakra bullets using Ebony and Ivory together to cause blunt-force trauma - duration depends on Naruto's chakra reserves)  
>- Twin Explosion (2 guns: overpowered chakra bullet that explodes on contact, each bullet is equal to 5 exploding tags in power)<br>- Rail Gun (1-2 guns: uses electricity produced by lightning chakra to enforce and accelerate the bullet to Kage-level speeds, amplifying its piercing power)

- Stun Bullet (a mild form of the Rail Gun. Controlled combination of both neutral and lightning chakra to produce a low-powered chakra bullet coated with lightning chakra that can disrupt a person's nerves to stop them from moving for a short amount of time. Duration of effect depends on the amount of lightning chakra added to the bullet. Causes paralysis, numbness, or even shock when hit more than once)

**Weapon:** Chakra Chain Armlets (x2)  
>***<strong>Techniques:<strong>

**-**Chain Jail (Uses chakra chains to bind an opponent(s))

**Bloodline Abilities:**  
>- Teleportation (single to mass teleportation - currently maximum of 3 including Naruto himself)<br>- Transformation  
>- Creation<br>- Chakra Shield (semi-automatic defense, area defense, individual-range defense)  
>- Minor Fire Manipulation (Fireballs)<br>- Advanced Telekinesis  
>- Flight (group flight - currently maximum of 3 including Naruto himself)<p>

**Taijutsu:** Tai Chi

**Ninjutsu:**  
>- Kage Bunshin no Jutsu<br>- Henge no Jutsu  
>- Kawarimi no Jutsu<br>- Futon: Grand Breakthrough  
>- Futon: Wind Blades<p>

**Genjutsu:** No abilities in Genjutsu except for detection and dispelling.

**Fuinjutsu:** Untested though already displaying a form of mastery through application of seals on his weapons.

**Mission Stats:**  
>S-Rank: 0<br>A-Rank: 0  
>B-Rank: 0<br>C-Rank: 1  
>D-Rank: 0<p>

**Ability Limitation:**

**Transformation** - cannot transform living beings that has active chakra running through their bodies. Possible but requires more power depending upon target. The more chakra and control the target has, the harder he/she is to transform)

**Teleportation** - the amount of chakra used by the technique depends on the distance from the starting point to the destination. More chakra is needed if Naruto takes in passengers. The chakra usage doubles for every passenger.

_Additional Note: Teleportation from Tea Country to Fire Country with 2 passengers takes 3/4 of Naruto's overall chakra reserves. No info regarding the use of Kyuubi's chakra for the technique. _


	6. Chapter 6

**m'j doom:** Thank you my friend. Well, someone offered to be my Beta Reader. But so far, he's been silent since his last message. So maybe he lost the desire to do so. If you know someone who can be my Beta Reader, please let me know.

All will be revealed in this chapter, especially those questions/concerns you indicated in your review. I'm not really sure about the summons yet since I have too many choices to pick from. I think that would be in the next chapter or after the Wave Arc.

**Rin'negan Naruto:** No, I don't think I'll give Naruto the Toads as his summons. It might fit him in the manga/anime canon but he needs something that fits his abilities here in my version. I'm still not sure what his summon is going to be though.

**Zamoskis**: You're correct. Yakumo has a weak body but not here in my fic. If you noticed from previous chapters when the evil spirit that possessed her was sealed, she was put into a training program under Tsunade. If someone could put her body right, it would be her. BTW, I love your idea about the gloves regarding his flame manipulation. Ku ku ku ku.

**Dopplerdee**: I'm not sure if I'm going to give Naruto some gloves with the abilities you mentioned. But if he is going to be wearing a pair then the abilities would be related to his fire manipulation. Ku ku ku ku

**Ccebling**: I'm not familiar with Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Sorry. But if you want me to consider it, send me a PM with the weapon specs.

**Anon**: Yes, all ninjas take order from the Hokage. What makes the Tokubetsu Brigade special involves 2 major differences:

1) They can take sensitive missions that the Hokage doesn't want the Leaf to be involved in. This is usually assigned to ANBU but they're missions are still recorded. Imagine Tokubetsu Brigade as the Hokage's private security force (like Danzo's ROOT);

2) the Tokubetsu Brigade CANNOT say no to a mission assigned by the Hokage. Regular shinobis can say no if they don't want to take the mission.

**gaaradave1**: What in the world is a Portal Gun? O.o

**ABitterPill**: Thanks my friend. Yes, Kyuubi/Kurama is a little bit too friendly, don't you think? I have a reason for that but it will be revealed way LATER into the fic. Unlike other fics that introduces a friendly Kyuubi, my version has a reason behind the sudden change. I got the idea from the manga actually when it came out. So stay tuned. Ku ku ku ku

**CrescentMelody**: I'm not sure if I want to save Kimimaro, his intro into the story is still a few chapters away. But I'll think about it. He is worth saving though if you ask me. Ku ku ku ku

**Chidoriforlife**: No Bleach abilities in my fic, sorry.

**lightningblade49**: Naruto with a machine gun…hmmmm… it has possibilities. I'll think about it.

**Attis**: It is still too early for Yakumo to demonstrate her abilities as her being a side-character. But she will be showing her stuff soon. After all, she is a Genjutsu Prodigy so she SHOULD have something that can make strong men shiver in fright.

I apologize for the mistakes pointed out to me. For the 5kg/10-pound chakra weight during the start of this fic, it complete slipped my mind. Sorry, will correct that soon.

Also, my mistake in the Character Bio is now corrected. (Check Character Bio at the bottom of this page)

Thanks for pointing these out to me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or the abilities that character displays that is similar to other anime/mangas. Give credit to where credit is due.

* * *

><p><strong>Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<strong>

**Chapter 06**

* * *

><p>Naruto and Yakumo materialized in the living room. Looking around, he noticed that he needed to clean up a bit if the dust on the table was any indication. He just realized that no one would be minding the house if they go away on an extended mission. He wasn't afraid of thieves or raiders entering his domain thanks to the Security Seals he installed in and out of the compound but he really needed someone to look after the place when they're not around. He decided to talk to Anko later about it.<p>

Naruto decided to spend the day catching up on his many experiments down in his laboratory. He looked at Yakumo who was currently enjoying the comfort of the couch with a smile on her face. Naruto smiled at the peaceful expression on his teammate's face.

"Are you going to be staying here all day, Yakumo-chan?" he asked his teammate. Yakumo shook her head, eyes already half closed.

"I think I'll go to the village to look around for a bit after a nap. Besides, we don't have much food in stock before we left so someone needs to do the groceries." said Yakumo, eyes already closed. Naruto blushed at the direct jive since he was the one in charge of the cooking so food supplies were his responsibility.

"Sorry Yakumo-chan. Do you want me to go with you?" he asked to cover for his mistake. The girl just waved him off.

"No need. You already have a list sticking on the fridge before we left so I'll use that to get what we need. Besides, taking you shopping always ruins the mood. I'll take care of it so you can do…whatever it is you want to do." whispered Yakumo before going to sleep.

Naruto just shook his head and created two Shadow Clones and ordered them to clean up the place before leaving the room towards his study.

His study was located exactly in the middle of the house. It contains many personal books and journals, technique scrolls, and some interesting books he asked Yakumo to pick out from the village bookstore. However, the crown jewel of his study is the well-hidden entrance towards his secret place – his secret laboratory that housed his many experiments.

He entered his study and walked towards one of the bookcases on the walls. He lifted out the book entitled 'The Secret Garden' and channeled chakra into a seal hidden on the edge of the cover, expertly hidden from unwanted eyes.

It was a Key Seal he designed to protect the secret entrance to his hideaway. Its sister seal was behind the bookcase connected to the modified Lock Seal that only he and Anko can open. At first it was only his chakra that the seal can identify but he later added his adopted sister just in case things go wrong or if needed something to be fetched.

The Key Seal on the book glowed blue before dying down. The bookcase shuddered before sliding to the side, revealing a door with stairs leading down. Placing the book back on the shelf, he went down the stairs but not before palming one of the seals located on the door frame while channeling another small burst of chakra to close the entrance.

When the bookcase entrance closed with a click, the room was temporarily in complete darkness but eventually lit up as many of the light bulbs automatically turned on, illuminating the way down.

Another barrier blocked his path so he placed his hand on a seal etched in the middle of the door and channeled his chakra. It was another Chakra Identification Seal to ensure that his secrets are not compromised. The door to his laboratory unlocked with an audible click before swinging open to admit its master. Naruto entered his laboratory as the door automatically closed with another soft click.

Naruto looked around and couldn't help but the smile at the different unfinished experiments displayed on the walls. There were four of them that made him giddy since these would make quite an addition to his arsenal when finished.

First, his eyes landed on an 8-foot tall cross made of chakra metal. The surface of the metal contains various seals that Naruto perfected. He walked over to the table that contained his many journals and picked one out that contained the information on said weapon. He opened it to the last entry to refresh his memory.

_**Project Crucifix**_

_Type: Gun/Chakra Cannon_

_Weight: 15kg_

_Chassis: Chakra Metal_

_Seals: Durability Seal, Anti-Gravity Seal, Chakra Battery Seal (5), Chakra Compression Seal, Acceleration/Propellant Seal, Conduction Seal, Mild Explosion Seal (trigger)_

_Function: _

_Concept similar to Ebony and Ivory, Crucifix was designed as a heavy artillery weapon with 3 basic functions. _

_Function 1: Regular Bullets – utilizes the channeled chakra to fire medium-powered chakra bullets. (More powerful compared to Ebony and Ivory's Charged Bullets)_

_Function 2: Burst Bullets – utilizes more of the user's chakra to fire high-powered chakra bullet. (full power estimated to be comparable to 10 Regular Explosive Tags)_

_Function 3: Exploding Bullet – unlike Ebony and Ivory, Crucifix can hold more chakra for a more powerful bullet equal to 20 Explosive Tags upon impact. Note: requires Chunnin chakra reserves on initial draw)_

_Support Function:_

_Chakra Battery x5 – Crucifix is built with 5 Chakra Batteries. Each Chakra Battery contains enough power for one Exploding Bullet. Chakra Battery is necessary for continuous shot while the chakra channeled by the user replenishes them. _

_Experiment Status: Untested_

_Additional Notes: Untested for use in Kyuubi's chakra though experiment shows that it's possible. _

Naruto smiled at what he read. If this project turns out to be successful then he no longer need to worry about armies getting the drop on the Tokubetsu Brigade. The sheer power of the weapon made him giddy.

"_**I still can't believe you created that monstrosity."**_ said Kyuubi as he read along with Naruto. From the description, its power was 10 to 20 times that of Ebony and Ivory depending on how much chakra to put in it. He drooled at the destruction it could cause towards the Leaf's enemies if they were unlucky enough to be in the blast zone.

"_After I finished Ebony and Ivory, there were still other weapons in the various comics the clones read that I want to try out. In fact, Crucifix is a planned addition to my arsenal. Ebony and Ivory is good and all but I don't think both will stand in front of a large group of enemies. Crucifix should counter that easily."_ said Naruto with pride as he traced the cool metal of Crucifix with his finger, feeling the many seals engraved on its surface.

"_**If it works."**_ interjected Kyuubi that caused Naruto to growl in annoyance.

"_It will work Kyu. Its functionality and creation is similar to my guns and I'm sure that Kaito followed my specifications down to the letter. The only difference is that its bigger, better, and badder compared to Ebony and Ivory.. Ku ku ku ku."_ said Naruto followed by an evil laugh, already imagining hundreds of enemies being blown to bits with one shot of his new baby.

"_**You know that's creepy right?"**_ Kyuubi said with a shudder. Naruto mentally smirked at his tenant.

"_I know. That's why I do it to annoy you."_ said a smug Naruto ignoring the spluttering going on inside his mindscape.

"_**Insufferable human."**_ growled Kyuubi. _**"Are you going to test that…that…monstrosity right now?"**_

Kyuubi was secretly both awed and afraid of the weapon. If Naruto could mass produce Crucifix then he wouldn't think he, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, would survive a hundred of those aimed at him. He might be powerful and could shrug off jutsus thrown at him but he knew that one bullet from Naruto's new project will hurt…a lot.

"_Yeah yeah. I'll just seal this baby up and I'll visit jiji to ask for a place where I can test this out without anyone around. I want to keep this weapon a secret as long as possible. Imagine what would happen if our enemies get wind of this."_ said Naruto with a shudder.

"_**Good point. Now get a move on and visit the Hokage. I want to see what your new weapon can do."**_ said Kyuubi excitedly. Naruto just rolled his eyes as he grabbed Crucifix from its perch, grunting a bit at the weight despite the Anti-Gravity seal he placed on it, and sealed it in a spare storage scroll he had lying around before placing it in a hidden pocket inside his trench coat.

He exited his secret laboratory whistling a lively tune and teleported to the Hokage's office without a sound.

* * *

><p>Naruto materialized in the Hokage's office startling the aged leader.<p>

"Hello jiji. Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time." said Naruto with a grin since he noticed his surrogate grandfather immediately hide an orange book inside his sleeves upon his arrival. The Hokage coughed, a bit embarrassed at almost being caught reading his favorite book, and gave his grandson a mock glare before turning it into a smile.

"Not really, Naruto-kun. Just relaxing since my clones are doing all the work." said the Hokage while gesturing to one corner where three of his clones were working on a bunch of mission scrolls and documents while leveling him a hateful glare which the original just ignored. "What brings you here? I thought you would be relaxing from your mission since you just got back."

"Well, I'm already relaxed thank you very much." said Naruto with a shrug. "The reason I came here is to find out if you have a training ground outside the village. I want to test a new weapon I developed and I want to be far away from civilization as possible to make sure that it's kept a secret." he finished seriously. This caught the Hokage's interest since he knew his grandson was busy tinkering away on some experiments underneath his mansion in Training Ground 43.

"Hmmmm I might have one that you can use but only I can take you there. It is a secret training ground for Hokages." said the old man while scratching his chin and giving the blonde a thoughtful look. Naruto nodded eagerly.

"Please jiji. Can you take me there right now? I'm sure that you won't be disappointed." said the blonde excitedly. Sarutobi sighed. No matter how much Naruto grew up as a shinobi, he was still a kid on high when it comes to his experiments.

"Okay Naruto-kun. Let's go there right now so you can show me this…project of yours." said Sarutobi as he stood from his desk, grabbed Naruto's shoulder, and Body Flickered out of the room towards his old training ground.

* * *

><p>The Hokage training ground was located two miles outside of Konoha, relatively behind the Hokage Monument. It was created by the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama, using his Mokuton (Wood Element) along with his brother, the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama.<p>

The training ground was quite large. It was surrounded by large trees similar to the ones found in the Forest of Death. On one side of the training ground was a large waterfall perfect for Water Elemental Training. Training logs and practice dummies littered one corner of the area, as well as an outdated obstacle course that could give any Elite Jounin a run for their money. All-in-all, Naruto was quite impressed with what he was seeing.

"This is a great training ground, jiji. Do you train here a lot?" asked Naruto after whistling to a few training dummies littered with holes and 'wounds'. The Hokage nodded as a wistful smile flickered on his face, remembering the time he trained here with his two senseis, the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage.

"It was my old training ground during my youth. This place was created by my sensei Senju Hashirama and Tobirama using their bloodline limit. I was specifically trained here when they became my Jounin-sensei until to the time they groomed me to become the Sandaime." explained Sarutobi while staring at one of the training dummies in the area. He turned to Naruto. "What do you want to try out Naruto-kun?" he asked curiously.

Naruto just grinned and pulled out the storage scroll containing Crucifix and promptly unsealed it in front of the Hokage who was looking at the weapon in awe and confusion.

"What in the blazes is that?" asked an awestruck Sarutobi who was looking at the 8-foot tall cross with a little bit of fear, curiosity, and awe.

"This is one of the projects I recently completed and only required a thorough testing for tweaking. It is a powerful version of my guns. Jiji, I would like to introduce to you the Heavy Arms, Crucifix." Naruto said proudly as he eyed the gigantic weapon with a loving look.

"Interesting…so what does it do?" asked Sarutobi who was giving the weapon a closer inspection, noting the different seals on the surface, as well as the various lines indicating compartments to who knows what.

Not missing a beat, Naruto pulled out his journal and handed it to the Hokage who gratefully took it and read its content. The old leader's eye grew to the size of dinner plates as he read through the schematics and blue print of the weapon, as well as its many functions. "Quite a powerful weapon you have here Naruto-kun. I didn't know you created something like this."

"This is one of the few experiments I tackled after I created Ebony and Ivory. This came from one of those comics my clones read in the Library. Besides, if I was able to reverse-engineer Ebony and Ivory, nothing was stopping me to check out other weapons to add to my arsenal." Naruto said with a childish grin. The Hokage just rolled his eyes. Trust Naruto to turn a weapon from a comic book into a real-life war machine.

"How does it work?" asked the Hokage.

"Like my guns, this is a long range area weapon but its power is greatly increased due to its size. You see the middle of the cross?" Naruto indicated the hollow circular portion at the center of the weapon containing a handle and a trigger. "It contains the trigger and Absorption Seals to suck in the chakra from the wielder. Unlike Ebony and Ivory, Crucifix requires more chakra since its basic output is much stronger. Another difference is the charging time, you can practically shoot continuously with this baby since I installed my modified Chakra Battery Seal into the separate compartments located on the left and right arms. Right now, it is fully charged and ready to fire. So if you channel chakra to the gun, the energy will be stored in the battery while the energy there will be transferred to a barrel where the energy is compressed into a large bullet. There are five chakra batteries installed in this thing which is the reason why it is so big. All you need to do is fire." explained Naruto while waving a hand towards one section of the clearing creating a large boulder from nothing but air. The Hokage wasn't shocked at the sudden appearance of the boulder since he was already used to seeing Naruto create something from nothing but air.

After creating the target, Naruto hefted Crucifix with a grunt due to its overall weight and aimed at the boulder. He could feel his chakra being channeled out of his hands to the built-in chakra battery, refilling it as the ones in there was transferred to the barrel to be worked on by the Chakra Compression Seals. The tip of the gun which was located at the bottom of the cross-shaped weapon glowed a bright blue. Naruto pulled the trigger and braced himself as a large ball of chakra flew from the tip of the chakra cannon and traveled to the innocent boulder in Chunnin-level speeds.

What happened next stunned both of them.

A loud explosion roared out as the bullet hit the boulder. The backlash of energy pushed Naruto and the Hokage back a few feet, not expecting the shockwave to be so powerful. The area where the boulder was located was filled with smoke and dust. It took quite a while to dissipate, but when it did, both of their jaws dropped at the destruction a single bullet caused.

Instead of the boulder, the dissipating smoke and dust revealed a crater 20 meters wide and 10 meters deep, not to mention that the shockwave uprooted some of the smaller trees and dummies from their positions.

"Wow. I knew Crucifix was powerful but I never expected it to be THAT powerful." whispered Naruto in awe. Even Kyuubi was silent upon seeing a single bullet turn a 10-foot boulder into nothing but dust. The Hokage could only nod in agreement.

"That was one powerful bullet, Naruto-kun." said the Hokage while making up his mind concerning the weapon "From now on; the construction of such weapon is considered an S-Class secret. Who else knows of this?" demanded the Hokage since he didn't want the knowledge of such power to fall into the wrong hands. He inwardly shuddered what their enemies would do if they found out the son of Minato created a powerful weapon almost similar to Hiraishin in terms of destruction. Not to mention the other experiment Naruto had in the works.

"Anko and now you, jiji. I'm planning to show it to Yakumo after perfecting it" said Naruto as he ran his chakra towards the gun for a brief diagnostic scan, noting that no damage was taken after the first test shot. The Hokage nodded in approval.

"Good. Make sure no one knows of its existence or creation. Now is there anything else you need to test?" asked the Hokage, dreading the answer while being excited at the same time. Naruto adopted a thoughtful expression, deciding to push through with the next experiment or not. After a few seconds of deliberation, he decided to go with it.

"Well, Kyuubi wanted to know what would happen if I channel his chakra into Crucifix. We already tried it out with Ebony and Ivory and the only result we got from it is the increased power of the bullets even if I do a rapid fire though I haven't used that yet." said Naruto who looked down at Crucifix and shrugged. "Well, better try it now than never."

He hefted the gun again, this time, aiming at a patch of dense forest on the eastern section of the clearing, opposite to the Hokage Monument. _"Okay Kyu, let's see what this baby can really do."_ Naruto mentally yelled to his tenant.

"_**My pleasure kit. Here comes my chakra."**_ said an excited Kyuubi, channeling a bit of his chakra through the seal.

Naruto could feel Kyuubi's strong chakra exit his navel and travel all the way to his arm into Crucifix. Unlike the use of normal chakra, Kyuubi chakra lit up the entire seal matrix in red, telling everyone that the gun was currently charging using the bijuu's potent chakra. An eerie red glow emanated from the opening and Naruto could feel that the energy being stored in the gun was ten times more powerful than regular chakra. He didn't know what was happening to the regular chakra being stored in the batteries but he could check that out later.

"Here goes nothing. Brace yourself jiji." shouted Naruto as he pulled the trigger.

A large beam of red chakra was released from Crucifix's tip, barreling its way to the forest and vaporizing everything it hit. The recoil was so powerful that Naruto had to grip the shaft with his other hand and channeled more chakra to his feet to avoid getting thrown off. The beam continued its journey, eliminating anything in its way with ease. It took a total of 10 seconds before the energy dissipated, signaling that the stored energy was fully drained, slowly thinning out until it disappeared.

Naruto and the Hokage looked at the destruction in awe. Instead of the lush, powerful forest, there was a wide trench that marked the passage of bullet - no beam, since such a thing could NEVER be called a bullet.

It took 5 minutes for the two to compose themselves enough to talk.

"So…uh….what do you think jiji?" Naruto said nervously. The Hokage didn't say anything. The silence was deafening for one Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto.

"Make that an SS-Class secret. NO ONE is to know about it. Clear?" said the Hokage in a voice that promised untold pain and horror if not followed.

Naruto couldn't do anything else but nod while looking at Crucifix's smoking tip.

* * *

><p>Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently relaxing in his favorite massage chair thinking of the events that happened in the Hokage Training Ground. He couldn't believe that Naruto created a weapon that can easily rival a bijuu's ultimate attack. Granted that it requires a bijuu's chakra to pull off, but the result was simply amazing.<p>

After testing the weapon, using normal chakra this time, he asked Naruto to teleport them back to his office so they could discuss their discovery regarding Crucifix's power.

It took them an hour to finalize everything but they finally had an agreement.

One, ALL of Naruto's experiments, whether it be weapon or skills, will be considered a Clan Secret not subject to anyone outside the family.

Two, the creation of Crucifix will be limited to one - meaning that Naruto will NOT be replicating the weapon for the possibility of being used against the Leaf (Though the Hokage stressed that Naruto could display his more trigger happy side with the weapon just in case some idiot want to raise an army against them…only as a last resort, of course)

Three, Naruto was tasked to place a Blood and Chakra Seal on the weapon, or in any of his creations, making sure that only Naruto and his descendants can use them. It was just too dangerous to let anyone else use it.

With that agreement in mind, he ordered Naruto to go back to whatever it is he is supposed to do eliciting an evil grin from the blonde meaning that the boy was about to prank someone or he has gotten another idea to add to his already impressive list of projects. He was both interested and scared at what Naruto could come up with in the future though he discarded the latter since he knew the boy wouldn't make something that would put his home at risk.

While thinking about today's excitement and revelation, he couldn't help but be proud of his surrogate grandson and his many achievements.

* * *

><p>Naruto teleported back to his home thinking about the success of Crucifix and its subsequent addition to his already impressive arsenal. He knew that he'll need to do a little bit of alteration to the seal matrix in order to produce more stable results, or an addition of another seal to control the output.<p>

But despite the control problem, Crucifix was ready for battle and he was giddy at the thought of using it against unsuspecting enemies.

"_**Hey kit. Congratulations on Crucifix's success."**_ said Kyuubi.

"_Thanks Kyu. Though I feel I need to alter the seals on Crucifix since I found that it was somewhat harder to control the power output. The firing is also sluggish at best. There was a 3-second delay in firing when I pulled the trigger."_ commented Naruto as he entered his laboratory.

"_**You could easily rectify the problem if you have to. There are two things we need to talk about, one about the weapon and another about something I discovered back in Tea Country." **_

"_Oh? How about you tell me about the weapon first?"_

"_**It's more of a suggestion really. It's not good to rely too much on my chakra. True, you could control up to two tails worth of my energy running in your system but your body can't handle the stress. That would kill you in a prolonged battle."**_ warned Kyuubi.

"_I already know that Kyu. That is one of the reasons why I keep my physical training up. I want to make sure that I have enough chakra for my battles without having to resort to yours."_

"_**I know. This is what leads me to my suggestion. Why don't you alter the seal to cause the same damage as my chakra using yours? What you released back in the clearing using my chakra was similar to a bijuu's ultimate attack, the Bijuu Dama (Tailed Beast Ball). If you can somehow replicate it using your own chakra then you won't have to rely on mine."**_

"_You never mentioned about bijuus having an ultimate attack. Anyway, I think I need to modify the Chakra Battery and Compression Seal a bit if I want to successfully replicate the attack using my own energies. From the way the seals lit up earlier using your chakra, it means that Crucifix was beyond its charging capacity, resulting in the attack. If I can increase the Chakra Battery capacity and improve the Compression seals, I might be able to create my own Bijuu Dama using Crucifix"_ Naruto said excitedly, mind already whirling with ideas on how to get this possible.

"_**Good. Now, on to the second subject I want to discuss with you. There is an island in Tea Country that one of your clones discovered that I'm familiar with. I think we need to go there as soon as possible."**_

"_What's in the island that got you so excited?"_ asked a curious Naruto.

"_**That island contains all my possessions. I had centuries accumulating treasures from you humans and I stored it in a large cave on that island."**_

"_Nice. But how do you know that its still there. Some people must have stumbled onto your treasure throve already and pilfered everything there."_ Naruto mused, a bit interested on what treasures Kyuubi kept in the island.

"_**It's impossible. I locked the cave entrance using my chakra. The only way to enter there is using mine. We need to go there since there are a few things inside that could greatly help you in your career."**_

"_Interesting. What is it?"_ said the blonde with childlike exuberance.

"_**I won't tell you."**_ Kyuubi deadpanned.

"_Kyu…"_ whined Naruto. Kyuubi just rolled his eyes.

"_**Just come up with something to get us on that island. Once there, I'll direct you to it. Your teammates are welcome since there are some things there that might help them as well." **_

"_Fine fine. I'll broach the subject to jiji when we have a mission in that area or near there."_ grouched Naruto. He hated the fox for keeping things interesting and withdrawing information to get on his nerves. Kyuubi knew that he was overly curious and withholding information on the subject of his curiosity was pure torture for the blonde.

* * *

><p>Various missions followed Tokubetsu Brigade after their 2-day trainingrest period.

Anko gave them different exercises to further enhance their abilities. For Naruto, Anko devised a much improved chakra control exercise for easier handling of Naruto's guns, as well as improving his control over his bloodline.

Yakumo concentrated more on physical training. Thanks to her weights, her physical strength improved by a small percentage but Anko placed her in a grueling physical training program that she is supposed to follow both in and out of missions to put her on par with the group.

Naruto also grilled Anko concerning the status of their new teammate. So far, Anko told her that she hasn't found anyone that would compliment their abilities as of yet but she would tell thim soon since he was the second-in-command of the group.

Speaking of missions, the Hokage assigned them was minor compared to what they were supposed to get. The aged leader explained that despite the team's overall abilities and teamwork, they need to gather experience through different missions until he deemed them ready for more difficult tasks. Of course, Naruto complained but relented when the Hokage told him that it will play a major role in his rise on the shinobi ranks.

For two months, Tokubetsu Brigade's missions varied from exterminating bandit camps to escort missions. Unfortunately for Naruto, they're missions was exclusively in Fire Country so the blonde didn't have the luxury to go to Kyuubi's island to check out his treasures and the Hokage told him that he could only do so if their mission parameters brings them near Tea Country. For now, there were no missions outside Fire Country so he told the pouting blonde to wait.

Aside from the missions, the 2 months was also wrought with discovery for Naruto and Yakumo.

For Naruto, he delved into his experiments during his free time with a few successes that he introduced to the group.

Of course, he tinkered with Crucifix and improved its overall functionality. He wasn't successful in recreating the Bijuu Dama but he was able to improve on its many flaws, like controlling the output of the bullet to fit different battle scenarios.

His first successful project after Crucifix was a Communication Seal placed on their headsets connected to a Master Control Seal located in the Hokage's Desk. This allows instant communication to everyone who has a headset and the Communicator Panel on the Hokage's office. The project was also tweaked so that the Hokage can pinpoint the group's location anywhere in the Elemental Nation. Thought the latter function was untested since the Tokubetsu Brigade haven't had any missions outside Fire Country as of yet.

Another successful experiment was the Hover Board which everyone in the Tokubetsu Brigade now has in their disposal. The board was created using the collaboration of Naruto's Chakra Magic and Seals.

The creation of the board was quite simple, Chakra Metal and Kaito's expertise. An Absorption Seal at the top of the board absorbs a person chakra and ambient energy. Conduction Seal connects the aforementioned seal to a set of Propulsion Seals at the bottom of the board. Control Seals in the form of bracelet is worn by the user that allows them to control the direction of the propulsion. As a result, the board can be used as a method of transportation in varying speeds depending on the user's chakra supply and the supply of Natural Energy in the air. The bracelet also acts as a Storage Seal where they can store the boards until its next use.

Lastly, Naruto used his Chakra Magic to saturate each of the boards. The result is a lightweight, almost indestructible, board that can easily convert Natural Energy to chakra to avoid draining the user.

Other, more complicated, projects were put on hold due to the lack of time and focus on missions.

Yakumo, on the other hand, concentrated more on her repertoire of Genjutsu. After their first foray into battle, Yakumo realized that her overall skill in attack and defense was lacking. In truth, she was never satisfied with her role as a support shinobi in the team so he delved into expanding her jutsu repertoire for a more devastating attack.

Instead of an area effect, Yakumo decided for single targets this time to help her teammates in a full-blown battle. Also, a single-target illusion wouldn't be exhausting her chakra reserves so she can last longer and can bring out more of them if needed.

* * *

><p>Naruto was currently jotting down some notes on potential projects when a buzz in the house intercom alerted him to a communication directly from the Hokage.<p>

"**TOKUBETSU BRIGADE. PLEASE REPORT TO THE HOKAGE OFFICE AT ONCE. PACK IN ADVANCE FOR A 2-WEEK MISSION."**

Naruto looked up from his journal upon hearing the direct transmission from the Hokage. He frowned when he detected the seriousness in his jiji's voice. Deciding to get there as soon as possible, he placed a bookmark on the page he was writing on and slid the journal on a small shelf in front of him. He stood up from his worktable and exited his laboratory. He met a flustered Yakumo when he reached the living room.

"Naruto-san! Did you get the message from Hokage-sama?" asked Yakumo as she exited the kitchen. Naruto nodded.

"Yep. Jiji sounds serious. Is Anko-neechan in the house?" he asked while beckoning her to follow him to the Armory.

"No. I tried to find her before I met you in the living room but it seems she's not in the compound. Why don't you call her?" asked Yakumo as she and Naruto entered the vast armory of the Namikaze-Uzumaki household.

The Armory was carefully stocked by Naruto for missions, with both Anko and Yakumo chipping in to make sure that they have everything they need when the occasion demands it. In most cases, their contribution depended on their specialties.

For Naruto, he filled up the place up with various shinobi gears and weapons using his Creation ability; like kunais, shurikens, senbons, windmill shurikens, ninja tent and sleeping gears, various weapons, and of course, a lot of supplementary seals for their use, like Explosive Tags, Chakra Suppression Tags, Shock Tags, Gas Tags, and the likes. Naruto didn't really need the weapons since he could create them out of nothing if there is need but his teammates didn't have that luxury. Also, the stockpile of seals and tags was welcome since he wouldn't have the time to create them on the field due to the needed preparation.

Yakumo's contribution was in the form of medical supplies. Due to her training with Tsunade and her own research, she concocted various healing supplies, like Chakra Pills, Nutrient Bars (this one was tastier than the ones sold in shinobi stores which Anko really hated with a vengeance), Blood Replenishing Pills, First Aid kits, bandages, splints, some antidotes, and healing salves.

Anko's contribution was more into her specialty, namely poisons and antidotes. In some cases, Anko coated some weapons with her own personal brand of poisons that can either incapacitate or kill. These weapons were specially stored in a sealed cabinet with Chakra Identification Seals to make sure that it's safe from unwanted hands.

Naruto directed Yakumo to take the necessary supplies from their stores while he pulled out a communicator from his trench coat pocket and placed it on his ear. He channeled a little bit of chakra to it to power it up.

"Anko-neechan?" said Naruto to the earpiece as he pulled some tags out of their respective drawers for the mission. There was a slight static from the earpiece before Anko's voice replied back.

"_What do you need gaki?"_ Anko asked through the earpiece.

"We got a call from jiji on the house intercom. He wants us in his office ASAP. Oh, he also told us to pack for a 2-week mission." said Naruto as he sealed some Explosive, Shock, and Gas Tags into a scroll and placed it in his pocket for easy access.

"_Hmmmm wonder what the old man wants? Did he say anything else?"_ asked a curious Anko. Naruto sweatdropped when Anko ordered 2 dozen dangos for the mission.

"Nope. Just to get to the tower as soon as possible but it must be important if he needs us immediately. Do you want me to pack something for you? Me and Yakumo are in the Armory right now stocking up."

"_Just pack me the usual gaki but you might want to go to my special cabinet and get me the purple scroll I have in there. Anko out."_ ordered Anko, the sound of wind was clearly heard from her end telling Naruto that his sister was in route to the Hokage Tower before the connection was cut off.

Naruto was surprised at the order. The purple scrolls contain Anko's most prized poisons that she specifically brewed from the venom of her snake summons. He gulped at the implication and hurried towards the special cabinet to get the needed supply.

It was 5 minutes later that Naruto teleported to the Hokage's Office with Yakumo. They weren't carrying any backpacks since they have storage seals on their hands to store their supplies.

He arrived there to see Anko sitting on the couch reading through a mission scroll with a frown on her face. The Hokage was sporting the same frown as well meaning that this was a serious mission.

"What's up jiji? Sorry it took a while for us to get here but we needed to pack." said Naruto as he sat on Anko's right while Yakumo took the left. The Hokage just nodded before going into his explanation.

"We received an urgent request for back-up from Kakashi. Team 7 is currently on a C-Rank mission to escort a bridge builder to Wave Country. It was supposed to be a simple escort mission but the presence of missing-nins bumped it up a grade, possible even an A-Rank considering that they met the Demon Brothers who tried to kill Tazuna along the way." explained the Hokage. Naruto's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Demon Brothers? I read about them in the Bingo Book. Aren't they supposed to be in league with Momochi Zabuza's group? So that means…" Naruto trailed off already knowing who they would be up against.

"You're correct Naruto-kun. I think this is the reason why Kakashi requested for back-up. If they are going against Zabuza then his current team wouldn't make it back alive so I'm going to be sending the Tokubetsu Brigade to strengthen Team 7's fighting capabilities. The mission parameter under Team 7 has changed. Team 7 and Tokubetsu Brigade will protect Tazuna and find a way to neutralize Gato who hired Zabuza to kill the client. As such, I give you Class A permission if necessary." said the Hokage with a serious glint in his eyes.

The eyes of the Tokubetsu Brigade widened when they heard the order

Class was a new addition to the running of Tokubetsu Brigade. Due to Naruto's projects and inventions, as well as their specializations, the group currently has so much firepower in their arsenal that the Hokage deemed it necessary to give Class permission to use them in specific mission to avoid unwanted casualties.

Class C permission involves the use of standard shinobi gears and techniques, which is usually ranked from Genin to Jounin techniques involving D to S Rank techniques. This is considered as the default permission for missions.

Class B is used for demolition and assassination missions. This mostly includes the use of high-powered Explosive Tags that Naruto created which the rest of the Tokubetsu Brigade also uses; Anko's summons, and the more nightmarish illusions under Yakumo's arsenal. Their first mission in Tea Country was classed as a Class B in their private mission logs.

Class A is used for large scale battles. The lifting of restrictions differ for each person. For Anko, Class A means that use of her deadlier poisons that is aimed to kill her opponents. For Yakumo, it means that use of area effect genjutsu that often kills the victims or leaves them brain dead afterwards. But for Naruto, Class A permission is the use of Crucifix with certain limitations – use it without anyone noticing its presence but if not possible, use it as quickly as possible to avoid questions.

Finally, Class S is strictly for Naruto alone. This involves the use of Crucifix's ultimate technique, the Chakra Beam using Kyuubi's chakra.

Normally, the rules aren't needed since shinobis use anything in their arsenal for the success of the mission.

However, in the case of the Tokubetsu Brigade, Class permission is necessary depending on the severity of the mission. Also, Naruto has to refrain showcasing his weapons to make sure that it stays as a hidden trump card for the Leaf. If the other countries find out about these weapons, then consequences would vary from infiltration and assassination missions to acquire them, or worst, war with the Leaf just to get their prize.

"Are you sure it is necessary for Class A permission, Hokage-sama?" asked Anko with a frown. She wasn't averse to a massacre that usually comes with lifting of such restriction but she didn't want to put her adopted brother at risk in terms of others finding out about his creations. The Hokage gave a solemn nod.

"I wish it will not be needed but there are certain information that came to light that might force your group to utilize those techniques in your arsenal. I got word that Gato is a business tycoon who is not averse to hiring missing-nins and mercenaries to wreak havoc on countries he set his sights on. It would be safe to say that you will be facing numbers almost similar to your first mission in Tea. If you are faced with such opposition then Class A is necessary." Sarutobi told the Snake Mistress who gave him a bloodthirsty smirk.

"Undestood Hokage-sama. Tokubetsu Brigade will gladly take this mission. We will leave immediately." she declared with excitement lacing her voice.

"Good. I expect a successful mission from your group Anko. Make sure that your group keeps me posted." said the Sandaime before turning to Naruto. "I'm not sure if the communicators will be able to reach me from Wave but I want you to test it out when you get there."

Naruto nodded since he didn't have the time to experiment on the communicator's range. This will be a good time to test it out or if he needs to put the project on priority for improvement after the mission. "Sure thing jiji." said Naruto while throwing the purple scroll to Anko who deftly caught it with a grin before putting it inside her equipment pouch. Sarutobi didn't bat an eyelash at the display since he knew the content of the scroll. Trust Anko to go overboard with her arsenal even if the situation might cause her to use it.

"Excellent. You're all dismissed and be careful out there." ordered the Hokage.

Anko, Naruto, and Yakumo nodded before teleporting out of the office leaving the aged leader to relax back into his chair and pulling out his orange book, giggling all the while.

* * *

><p>Naruto was busy fiddling around with his bracelet while Anko was talking to the Chunnin guards on the Northern Gate to see if Kakashi signed out. They would have been in route to Wave already but they decided to follow Kakashi's trail so they could rendezvous with his team instead of searching blind.<p>

Naruto looked up and saw Anko walking towards them with a grin on her face. "Any luck, Anko-neechan?" he asked. The Snake Mistress nodded.

"They came out this way so it will be easy for us to follow them. Speed is of the essence so we might need to use our Hover Boards gaki." said Anko before chuckling when he noticed Naruto perked up upon the mention of his latest masterpiece.

"Great. We could easily follow Kakashi's trail with this." said Naruto before snapping his fingers. A pair of dark shades materialized in front of him, floating in mid-air. He caught it and showed it to Yakumo and Anko who looked at it curiously.

"What does it do?" asked Yakumo who noticed the seals engraved on the frames. Naruto grinned.

"This is one of the few projects that Kyu and I worked on and I perfected it last week." he said excitedly, explaining his newest creation. "It replicates the capability of the Byakugan and Sharingan to see chakra but on a smaller scale. With this baby, we can easily follow Kakashi if his chakra trail is still present."

Naruto donned the shades and activated the seals. It took a while for the chakra trails to materialize and he immediately noticed the wispy trail of white chakra exiting the gate as well as trailing back into the village.

"Success!" crowed Naruto with glee. "I got his trail. Good thing Kakashi's White Chakra is easily distinguishable from the regular ones or I would be having trouble picking his out of the crowd." Aside from Kakashi's chakra, Naruto also noticed multiple chakra trails going in and out of the village. Some were quite new while the others were already fading.

"_**I guess it worked. The shades wouldn't be possible without your bloodline."**_ said Kyuubi as he also checked out the invention through Naruto's eyes with interest.

"_I got you to thank for the success of this project Kyu. If you didn't push the idea then I wouldn't even think about doing this."_ Naruto said gratefully towards his tenant.

"_**Damn right." **_said Kyuubi in a haughty voice. Naruto just rolled his eyes from behind the shades.

"So gaki. Did you get a fix on Kakashi's trail?" asked Anko who was itching to leave. Naruto just nodded and removed the shades before passing it on to Anko who tried it on. She whistled when she noticed the White Chakra leaving the village. "Great work gaki. Now let's get going."

They left the gate and ran a few miles before stopping in the middle of the road. With a nod, all three of them unsealed their personal Hover Boards from their respective bracelets. Each was personalized with their favorite colors. Naruto was blue, Anko purple, and Yakumo a dark gray, almost black.

They threw the boards on the ground and stepped on it. Immediately channeling chakra, the boards glowed a light blue before it hovered 3 feet off the ground. After activating the control bracelets, they sped off at Jounin-level speeds following Kakashi's trail with Anko on the lead since she was wearing Naruto's invention.

After 10 minutes of travel, Anko called to a halt when she saw something tied up on a tree beside the road.

"Goodness. Kakashi left you both here all tied up. He didn't even bother to tell Hokage-sama for a pick-up." said Anko as he noticed the sleeping missing-nins. Naruto looked at the nuke-nins before pulling out Ebony and Ivory.

"Do we need any information from them, neechan?" asked Naruto while charging a bit of lightning chakra to his guns. Anko shook her head.

"Okay then. Let me just stun them before calling jiji for a pick-up team to bring them back to Konoha." said Naruto before shooting the two of them with his Stun Bullet. The result was funny to say the least. When the bullets hit the Demon Brothers, one each, they woke up from the sudden influx of lightning chakra into their system. They screamed for a bit before blacking out, a bit of smoke coming out of their bodies.

"Ooops." Naruto said sheepishly while returning the guns to their respective holsters. "I think I overdid it a bit."

"You think?" said Yakumo sarcastically while eyeing the smoking nins. Naruto just gave her an embarrassed smile before channeling a bit of chakra to his ear communicator.

"Hey jiji."

"_Hello, Naruto-kun. It's too early to give me a call. Is there a problem?"_ came the Hokage's curious voice from the earpiece.

"No problem here jiji. We encountered the Demon Brothers while we were traveling to Wave. I put them under the effects of my Stun Bullet and requests to have a pick-up team bring them back to the village." asked Naruto.

"_I'll get right on it Naruto-kun. What's the location?"_

"2 miles from the North Gate jiji. Just tell the team to follow the path. They are tied on a tree beside the road. Over and out." said Naruto before signaling Anko to get a move on while turning off the communicator.

"What did he say?" asked Anko as they continued to follow Kakashi's chakra trail.

"He said he will deploy a team to pick up the Demon Brothers. That's it." replied the blonde. Anko nodded.

"Okay team. Let's speed up and catch up to Team 7. The sooner we rendezvous with them, the better."

* * *

><p>This is one of those times that Kakashi hated being a shinobi. Having a Genin team was good and all but having a team that sucks only spelled disaster. Despite having a high success rating compared to other Genins, they were a constant source of headache.<p>

First off, he was outvoted regarding the mission. Sure he had complete control and could have easily told them to go back to Konoha to request for back-up. But no! He had to leave the decision to them. He had nothing to blame but his laziness.

Of course, the Uchiha opted to continue the mission despite the odds of encountering a Jounin-level missing-nin. Kakashi suspected that the Uchiha wanted to prove himself that he is better than his brother or hope to gain experience to be one step closer to beating Itachi.

As expected, Haruno Sakura immediately supported Sasuke in his declaration saying that her Sasuke-kun can handle anything. He could only grimace at hanging a poor excuse of a kunoichi on her team despite her being given glowing recommendations from the Academy. He swore to complain to the Hokage about falsification of Academy Reports when he gets back to Konoha. IF he gets back that is.

Sai, the third Genin of the team, just agreed to go along with the rest. Kakashi suspected that Sai was in his team because of the Uchiha since there was more to the boy than meets the eye. For Kakashi, Sai's emotionless facade screamed ROOT – a program created by Danzo during the Third Shinobi War that was SUPPOSEDLY disbanded by order of the Sandaime and Yondaime Hokage.

It was smooth sailing to Wave after their encounter with the Demon Brothers but Kakashi have this gut feeling that something bad was about to happen. And his gut feeling was rewarded much to his dismay.

When they got to Wave, the area was surrounded by a thick mist that made their journey a bit dangerous. Of course, thanks to his sensitive hearing and experience, he was able to warn his team in time when Zabuza made an appearance, his large sword spinning towards their heads, which they luckily escaped from thanks to his timely warning.

A small battle ensued with him currently being trapped in a Water Prison. He ordered his team to take Tazuna and run but the famous Uchiha pride got in the way.

Here he was now, looking at the shore from his water prison maintained by the real Zabuza where Sasuke was trying valiantly to defeat the missing-nin's clones who Kakashi knew was only at a percentage of the original's capabilities. He winced when he saw a Zabuza clone kick the Uchiha in the face after said boy tried to form seals for a Fire jutsu, throwing the duck-haired Genin to his team and client.

"That is one pathetic team you have there Kakashi." said Zabuza with amusement. He chuckled when his clone started clobbering the Uchiha. "I was expecting more from the team of the legendary Copy Cat Kakashi."

Kakash didn't say anything but opted for a glare towards the Demon of the Mist who just gave him a smug grin. He desperately racked his brain for any ideas to help him escape and possibly save his team's lives.

* * *

><p>The Tokubetsu Brigade was currently skimming the waves on their Hover Boards heading for Wave Country. At their current speed, they will reach the island in 5 minutes if they stick to the White Chakra trail from Kakashi.<p>

"_**Hey kit. You might want to speed things up a bit. I sensed a large chakra burst up ahead. From the amount, I would say it's a Jounin and it's not Kakashi."**_ reported Kyuubi as he scoured ahead using Naruto's senses. He knew that the chakra burst wasn't Kakashi since he was able to identify the different using the trail they were following.

"_You know. You should start teaching me how to do that."_ Naruto deadpanned as he turned on his communicator.

"_**And become redundant? No thanks. You're not going to learn it from me kit."**_ said a smug Kyuubi. He always liked it when he gets a one up over his container.

"_I hate you."_ growled Naruto. Kyuubi didn't even bother to dignify that with a response but the wave of smugness emanating from the seal was an indication that fox just scored a point. "Anko-neechan, Yakumo-chan. Kyu just reported a Jounin-level chakra burst up ahead and it's not from Kakashi." he said to his earpiece which was currently broadcasting to the rest of the team.

"_Any ideas who or what caused the chakra burst?"_ asked Anko, who was already racking her brains on the possibilities when they get to their destination.

"Nope. If I have to guess then Kakashi and his team just encountered a Jounin-level missing-nin. It might be Zabuza." said Naruto, a bit excited on facing such a strong opponent.

"_Got any plans Anko-sensei?"_ asked Yakumo.

"_Nope. But if it is Zabuza then we are going to have a battle on our hands. We need to assess the situation first before we can do anything else." _said the Snake Mistress. After a brief pause, she continued. _"We need to scout first so we are going to hover at 70-feet to keep us out of sight. Yakumo, cloak us in a Genjutsu. I would ask Naruto to do it but his technique releases a burst of chakra so any shinobi in the area can easily determine our location. Once we get a visual, we can plan our way from there."_ ordered Anko.

"Roger that Anko-neechan." agreed Naruto which Yakumo echoed on her end

Channeling more chakra to their boards, Tokubetsu Brigade rose up into the air at a height of 70 feet which gave them a clear visual of the ground above the trees. Upon entering Wave, they encountered heavy mist which reduced the visibility. Naruto asked Kyuubi to guide them to the location of the chakra burst which the fox readily complied.

It didn't take themalong to arrive at the location. The battle was taking place in a small lake a mile inland from the coast. Tokubetsu Brigade observed the situation.

"_Looks like Kakashi's in a bind. His team is not doing too good as well."_ observed Anko in a smug tone since she knew that her team was way better than the renowned Jounin.

"_Seems like it. Ouch." _said Naruto with a wince after seeing a clone of Zabuza kicking the Uchiha on the chest sending him skidding back to his team. _"That got to hurt."_

"_Our first order of business is to get Kakashi out of the Water Prison. I'm familiar with the jutsu. In order to maintain the construct, Zabuza needs to maintain his hand on the jutsu to channel constant flow of chakra. If we can remove his hands from it then the jutsu will fall collapse."_ said Anko. Naruto nodded and observed the situation closely. An idea came to mind that should probably work.

"_Neh, Anko-neechan. I'll take care of it. I'll get Kakashi out of that sphere. Why don't you and Yakumo go to those trees behind Team 7 and get ready to intercept after I free Kakashi?"_ said Naruto as he pulled out a Blood-based Storage Scroll from his trench coat pocket. Anko and Yakumo saw this and were shocked that Naruto is bringing out his hidden ace.

"_What do you have in mind Naruto-san?"_ asked a nervous Yakumo as she kept the illusion on the team. She was always nervous when it concerns Naruto's new toys.

"_You'll see."_ Naruto said mysteriously as he channeled more chakra to his board and rose up into the air, out of sight.

Upon reaching a suitable altitude, Naruto unsealed Crucifix from the scroll and took aim. Since Zabuza and Kakashi were near the shore, he targeted the middle of the lake with Crucifix and started pumping chakra into it, bypassing the energy stored in the Chakra Battery.

Thanks to some slight alteration to the Crucifix's Seal Arrays, Naruto can easily bypass the Chakra Battery and divert his energy into the Chakra Compression chamber. This is necessary for controlled shots that require more power than the battery can safely handle.

Naruto held Crucifix steady while charging it with a large amount of his chakra. He could see it reaching its limit thanks to the Indicator Seal on the side of the chassis. Upon reaching the required energy output, Naruto steadied his aim to the center of the lake and pulled the trigger.

A large ball of concentrated chakra the size of a basketball shot out of the Crucifix's tip directly towards the center of the lake. The recoil caused Naruto to go up a couple more feet before he was able to stabilize his board and stopped.

The blonde watched in morbid fascination as the chakra ball hit the center of the lake and disappeared into its depths with only a small splash that gave evidence to its entry. It was a few seconds later when a light emanated from the impact area followed by a large explosion causing large waves to ripple out from the blast zone.

* * *

><p>Zabuza looked up after sensing a surge of raw chakra, he saw a ball of something appear out of nowhere and traveled down to the center of the lake at Chunnin-level speeds. He ignored it since he was far away.<p>

Needless to say, he was unprepared for the explosion that followed from the impact zone in the center of the lake, causing a large tidal wave to appear bearing down on his position.

Not wanting to get pummeled by the powerful water wave coming his way, the Demon of the Mist released his hold on his technique and jumped to safety leaving his prisoner to his fate.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was caught unawares when the Water Prison dissipated around him and looked on in horror as a large tidal wave came his way. He tried to push himself out of the water but a hand grabbed him by the arm and whisked him to shore.<p>

* * *

><p>Anko gave a sadistic grin from her hiding place in a patch of trees just a few feet away from the imprisoned Kakashi when she saw a large ball of chakra appear out of nowhere and hit the center of the lake.<p>

Her grin grew when a loud explosion rocked the lake and couldn't help but be proud of Naruto's new weapon. It was disappointing that the Hokage forbade Naruto to create another Crucifix before she could ask for one but that's life.

She saw Zabuza leap away from the lake which cancelled the flow of chakra to the Water Prison, destroying the construct.

Seeing her chance, she pumped chakra to her feet and dashed towards the disoriented Jounin and grabbed him on the arm before using Shunshin (Body Flicker) to get away from the incoming tidal wave.

* * *

><p>Yakumo quietly landed a few meters behind Team 7 and their client. She immediately sealed her Hover Board back to her bracelet to avoid unwanted questions and observed the group in front of her.<p>

Team 7 wasn't faring well and their client, who she assumed to be Tazuna the Bridge Builder, was cowering behind them. She released an annoyed snort when she saw the state of the Uchiha who will need quite a bit of medical attention if his bloody façade was any indication.

She also spotted their pink-haired teammate who was shaking like a tree in the middle of a storm, holding a kunai as if thinking it would protect her from the Demon of the Mist.

Their last teammate, a pale boy with black hair was unconscious because of reasons unknown to her.

She looked up from her hiding place when she caught a ball of light enter the lake surface with a splash. _"Must be Naruto-kun and that new weapon of his. That boy just loved to make things that can cause explosion."_ she thought in exasperation. The following explosion and the tidal wave it caused on the lake stunned her a bit, biting back a curse towards his trigger happy teammate.

Yakumo caught another movement after the explosion and saw her team leader grab Kakashi from the water and disappeared. She sensed Anko's chakra signature reappear 10 feet to her left. Her sensei must have used her as a rendezvous point.

Sighing, she moved out from her hiding spot and walked towards the downed Team 7 while flipping through seals for one of her personal defensive illusions.

* * *

><p>Naruto grinned from his Hover Board on top of the lake as he observed the large tidal wave he created using Crucifix. He saw Anko grab Kakashi and disappeared to safety.<p>

"I wonder where Yakumo-chan is?" he mused as he sealed Crucifix back into its storage scroll before pocketing it.

"_**She's behind Team 7. Your sister is somewhere to her left."**_ said Kyuubi who was using Naruto's senses to keep track of the rest of the team.

"Thanks Kyu. I guess I better prepare for the next phase of the plan." he was about to activate his communicator to coordinate with his teammates when he saw Zabuza appear in front of Team 7 flipping through a series of seals. "Shit. He's going to attack Team 7. Yakumo's there." Naruto cursed before teleporting a few feet in front of Team 7.

* * *

><p>Zabuza was silently cursing after landing safely from the massive explosion at the center of the lake and the huge tidal wave that followed it. He didn't know what that ball of chakra was but he assumed that it caused the explosion. He wondered where that came from and who released it. He immediately shoved the questions for later when he saw Kakashi's team in front of him, unprepared.<p>

He released a nasty grin hidden behind his bandage mask and flipped through hand seals, intending to destroy the Genins along with his target. He finished his preparation and shouted his technique. **"Suiton: Water Dragon"**

A huge dragon materialized behind him powered by the many water puddles in the area. With a mental command, Zabuza sent his ultimate technique towards the Genin, grinning all the while.

He was unprepared, however, when a blonde haired teen suddenly appeared in front of his target staring intently at the incoming water dragon. He was shocked when a blue dome of raw chakra materialized, effectively covering him and Kakashi's team.

Not concerned with the interruption, the water dragon continued with its trajectory and hit the shield with amazing force, spraying water everywhere. This caused Zabuza to grin since there were no way those kids could have survived his attack. His elation, however, was put to a grinding halt when he felt something hit his shoulder that caused a lot of pain. He grabbed his shoulder before looking in front of him.

There, still safely ensconced in a shield of chakra, was the teen holding a weird weapon aimed right at him who's tip was releasing bits of smoke, and Kakashi's team safely behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 06<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Character Bio:<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto

**Age:** 13

**Affiliation:** Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Leaves)

**Rank:** Tokubetsu Genin

**Team Affiliation:** Tokubetsu Brigade

**Teammates:** Mitarashi Anko (Team Leader), Kurama Yakumo

**Bloodline:** Chakra Magic (unofficial designation since it's not registered) [Chakra Majutsu]

**Weapon:** Ebony and Ivory (chakra-powered guns)

*****Techniques:**

- Rapid Fire (rapid fire of low-powered chakra bullets using Ebony and Ivory together to cause blunt-force trauma - duration depends on Naruto's chakra reserves)  
>- Twin Explosion (2 guns: overpowered chakra bullet that explodes on contact, each bullet is equal to 5 exploding tags in power)<br>- Rail Gun (1-2 guns: uses electricity produced by lightning chakra to enforce and accelerate the bullet to Kage-level speeds, amplifying its piercing power)

- Stun Bullet (a mild form of the Rail Gun. Controlled combination of both neutral and lightning chakra to produce a low-powered chakra bullet coated with lightning chakra that can disrupt a person's nerves to stop them from moving for a short amount of time. Duration of effect depends on the amount of lightning chakra added to the bullet. Causes paralysis, numbness, or even shock when hit more than once)

**Weapon:** Heavy Arms - Crucifix

*****Techniques:**

- Regular Bullet (Medium powered chakra bullet - Twice the power of Ebony and Ivory's Twin Explosion; Power Requirement: half of a full-powered Chakra Battery)

- Burst Bullet (High powered chakra bullet with an exploding power of 10 explosive tags; Power Requirement: one Chakra Battery)

- Exploding Bullet (Variation of Burst Bullet with power of 20 explosive tags; Power Requirement: direct chakra infusion - Chunnin Level Reserves required)

- Chakra Beam (similar to that of a Bijuu Dama, Tailed Best Ball, in power. Releases a highly-concentrated beam of Kyuubi's chakra. Power Requirement: direct infusion of Kyuubi's chakra from Naruto)

**Weapon:** Chakra Chain Armlets (x2)  
>***<strong>Techniques:<strong>

**-**Chain Jail (Uses chakra chains to bind an opponent(s))

**Bloodline Abilities:**  
>- Teleportation (single to mass teleportation - currently maximum of 3 including Naruto himself)<br>- Transformation  
>- Creation<br>- Chakra Shield (semi-automatic defense, area defense, individual-range defense)  
>- Minor Fire Manipulation (Fireballs)<br>- Advanced Telekinesis  
>- Flight (group flight - currently maximum of 3 including Naruto himself)<p>

**Taijutsu:** Tai Chi

**Ninjutsu:**  
>- Kage Bunshin no Jutsu<br>- Henge no Jutsu  
>- Kawarimi no Jutsu<br>- Futon: Grand Breakthrough  
>- Futon: Wind Blades<p>

**Genjutsu:** No abilities in Genjutsu except for detection and dispelling.

**Fuinjutsu:** Untested though already displaying a form of mastery through application of seals on his weapons.

**Mission Stats:**  
>S-Rank: 0<br>A-Rank: 0  
>B-Rank: 1<br>C-Rank: 9  
>D-Rank: 0<p>

**Ability Limitation:**

**Transformation** - cannot transform living beings that has active chakra running through their bodies. Possible but requires more power depending upon target. The more chakra and control the target has, the harder he/she is to transform)

**Teleportation** - the amount of chakra used by the technique depends on the distance from the starting point to the destination. More chakra is needed if Naruto takes in passengers. The chakra usage doubles for every passenger.

_Additional Note: Teleportation from Tea Country to Fire Country with 2 passengers takes 3/4 of Naruto's overall chakra reserves. No info regarding the use of Kyuubi's chakra for the technique. _


	7. Chapter 7

**m'j doom: **You're one of my active reviewers/readers with one comment/review for every chapter. Woot! Yes, I agree, it is like chatting with an old friend. Ku ku ku ku.

Anyway, on to the points you pointed out in your review (he he he). Crucifix will only be used in special circumstances. Remembers, there are restrictions to the use of his artilleries because the Hokage doesn't want it to be known to everyone. There will be new inventions of Naruto in the future so you're better look forward to them.

Also, I don't think I will be using the visor too often in this fic. Not much use for it actually. You can consider it as a supplementary cache of items he may or may not use. (Like James Bond).

I'm not really keen about Naruto giving weapons to his peers. He might give them supplementary items but no weapons.

**Anon:** There are reasons WHY Naruto didn't kill Zabuza directly.

Reason 1: He can't use Crucifix to kill Zabuza BECAUSE Kakashi was in the blast zone. The risk was just too big and there is no justification to do so.

Reason 2: There are certain rules when it comes to shinobi fights. In terms of their current mission, Naruto can't just kill Zabuza using any of his assassination techniques because 1) A known enemy is better than an unknown enemy. 2) He can't just charge up his Rail Gun because it takes too long and Zabuza will surely sense it. He is a freaking Jounin after all. 3) He can't sneak up on Zabuza using Invisibility or any of his Chakra Majutsu skills since it is heavy on chakra – meaning, it can be detected by anyone skilled enough to do so. Keep in mind that Naruto's specialty is in front-line assault.

**Tommo243**: No, Crucifix is my name for the 'chakra cannon' though the design is similar to the one used in Trigun. (Couldn't help it, I love that thing)

**Attis**: To be honest, I'm not really good at writing bash but I could do mild ones. I don't hate Sasuke, per se, but I don't really like his attitude in the manga. There will be some mild bashing during the Wave Arc but Naruto will do something about it.

Btw, thanks for the idea on the Location/Locator Seal. I'm not sure how I will integrate that into my plot but it sounds promising.

**DragonBard**: Thanks for the review but you're basing the concept of Naruto being a Wizard in an anime or the Harry Potter concept. If you look closely in many fantasy novels in the market, wizard or magic per se is not solely dedicated to ummmm 'magical' stuff. If you've noticed, magic tends to border on the imagination, thus allowing them to do, well, practically, anything. The story is still in the beginning phase and I think you already come to a conclusion that Naruto is currently in 'inventor mode'. Trust me. That will pass with the right push and force him to focus more on his abilities.

**darn2k**: Thanks for giving me a new name for Naruto's bloodline. Starting from this fic onwards, Naruto's bloodline will henceforth be called Chakra Majutsu. Ku ku ku ku

**Sang28**: I like the idea of a focusing aide, like a wand or some sort, similar to what he uses to amplify the power and versatility of his chakra chains. I'll think of something unique for him to use.

**Skelo**: Oh yes, I'm familiar with the Pandora Box of Devil May Cry. However, I don't want to put in weapons that I can't explain to the readers. I'll think about it though.

**lightningblade49**: I know. I love it too. Best idea of mine yet. Ku ku ku ku

**dopplerdee**: I'm already thinking about introducing abilities in Fairy Tail for Naruto, especially the fire dragon slayer style but I'm not yet sure how I can introduce it to the plot. Don't worry, I'm thinking hard about it.

**Rin'negan Naruto**: I have some ideas on non-gun weapons. I'm still thinking of something unique though.

**Ccebling**: I checked it out. It is very interesting. I'll think of a way to introduce it to the plot if I am able. Ku ku ku ku (isn't this laugh getting old?)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any things that you might find familiar in other works. Give credit to where credit is due.**

* * *

><p><strong>Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's Wizard<strong>

**Chapter 07**

* * *

><p>Naruto was nervous. He was facing a renowned killer in the shinobi world. Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, Master of the Silent Killing Technique. True that he was itching for a fight and would love nothing more than to test his skills with the A-Ranked missing-nin but he couldn't help but feel nervous from the dangerous aura the figure in front of him was emitting.<p>

Zabuza was eyeing Naruto with intensity. This kid just appeared out of nowhere and erected a powerful chakra shield that stopped his ultimate water technique. It was unheard of. There was no skill ever recorded in the shinobi world of a ninja having a shield of chakra though the Hyuuga's Kaiten was a close similarity. This was different due to the lack of spinning involved with the Hyuuga's technique.

He channeled a bit of chakra to his aching shoulder, happy that some of the pain and numbness left it. He reached over his shoulder and pulled on his weapon, Kubikiri Hocho and pointed it at the kid who was still standing inside the shield with a strange weapon pointing at him.

"Who're you kid?" asked Zabuza, releasing a bit of his killing intent to drive his point home. Naruto gulped but didn't let it show.

"Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure no Sato." replied Naruto as he shifted his stance and drew his other gun from its holster, channeling chakra to both of them just in case. "And of course, you must be the Demon of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza. Correct?"

Zabuza laughed. "I never knew I was that famous already that a mere Genin knows my name." said the missing nin with a chuckle before giving Naruto an intense glare. "Beat it kid. I don't want to kill you. I'm only after the bridge builder behind you." he declared, increasing the amount of killing intent he was emitting to drive his point home. Naruto shook his head and leveled Zabuza a childish grin.

"No way!. My mission is to protect Tazuna. If you want to get to him then you have to go through me first." declared Naruto in a confident voice though he was getting more nervous inside. He tensed when he felt a surge of chakra behind him and immediately sensed it to be Yakumo's.

He willed his Chakra Shield to protect Team 7, Yakumo, and Tazuna while he stepped out causing a ripple on the surface. It didn't take long for Yakumo's technique to take effect, the surface of the shield rippled then took on an orange glow, causing the shield and everyone underneath it to disappear.

Zabuza was shocked when his prey disappeared. He glared at the blonde, assuming that he had something to do with it. "Wrong move there boy." he said before lunging at Naruto in a speed that the boy could barely catch.

Naruto saw Zabuza charge at him and decided that he needed to keep a solid distance between them if he was to survive. He teleported out of sight and appeared a few meters behind the charging nin. He aimed his gun and started firing low-powered bullets hoping to incapacitate the missing-nin or slow him down enough for him to land a decisive blow.

Zabuza was shocked that his opponent disappeared before sensing a burst of chakra behind him. He swiftly turned and used his giant cleaver to block the incoming bullets from Naruto. He was able to defend himself from the attack but the strength of the bullets made his arm tingle.

Not seeing any of his attacks hit the mark, Naruto stopped firing and charged Ivory with lightning chakra to hit Zabuza with a Rail Gun if he finds a chance.

Zabuza noticed Naruto stopped firing so he removed the sword from its defensive position and placed it on his shoulder. "Some weapon you have there gaki. Tell me. What is it?" he demanded as he crouched low, waiting to attack. Naruto just looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Why in the world should I tell you?" said Naruto before whipping out Ebony and starting raining bullets again to keep Zabuza on the defensive. However, the Demon of the Mist already expected the attack so he dashed to the side avoiding the barrage and lunged towards Naruto while swinging his blade down.

Naruto saw the incoming swing and couldn't do anything but to block. He raised both Ebony and Ivory in an x position to block the incoming blow. Both weapons hit with a resounding clang, causing sparks to fly to the air.

Zabuza was amazed that a small weapon could easily block his swing without even breaking. Naruto, on the other hand, was visibly shaken by the blow which caused his arms to slacken a bit. Of course, Zabuza noticed this and immediately applied more pressure to overpower his opponent. He was about to gloat when he saw something coming for him to his left so he jumped back, luckily avoiding a kick to the head from Anko.

Naruto sighed in relief as his arms were visibly shaking from the strength of Zabuza's blow. He let the build up of lightning chakra in Ivory dissipate and placed both guns back to their respective holsters.

"Took your time, Anko-neechan. Zabuza's pretty strong." said Naruto as he sent chakra to his Chakra Chain Armbands to launch a surprise attack at the last minute. Anko just grinned at him before pulling out one of her kunais before putting it in a reverse grip.

"What do you expect gaki. He's a freaking Jounin so it's only obvious that he's strong." exclaimed Anko with a bloodthirsty grin on her face. She turned to Naruto and nodded before lunging towards Zabuza engaging him in a Taijutsu match.

Naruto watched on as punches and kicks were traded at amazing speeds, he could barely catch up with the speed they were releasing and dodging blows. Zabuza was alternating between using his weapon, punches, and kicks; while Anko countered each using a hand or a kunai. However, Zabuza feinted with an overhand slash which cause Anko to dodge on the side. The Demon of the Mist was expecting this so he reversed his grip on Kubikiri Hocho for a sideswipe that could have hit Anko on the ribs but was stopped when a chain appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around the blade, stopping it in its tracks.

Zabuza followed the length of the chain to an index finger of Naruto. Said boy just grinned and grabbed the chain in front of him with his other hand and yanked with all his strength, causing a tug-of-war between the blonde jinchuriki and the Demon of the Mist. Anko saw this and jumped away to plan a strategy or to wait for an opening for her to attack from.

"Oh? First, the weird weapons and now you're using a chain out of chakra? Quite impressive for a brat." Zabuza said curiously before leveling Naruto a mocking grin which was obvious despite the bandages covering half of his face. "However, you're too young to take me on kid." Zabuza channeled a large amount of chakra to his muscles and yanked on his blade with an overhand swing.

Surprised by the sudden counter, Naruto wasn't able to get rid of the chain in time with the swing so he was thrown forward towards the Demon of the Mist who saw his chance for a quick kill.

Zabuza corrected his grip on his blade and was about to do an upward slash to kill the blonde. However, he was thrown out of the loop when said teen was pointing the white weapon at him while giving him a cute child-like smile (Not that he would admit it.)

"Heeeelllooooo" said Naruto in a childlike voice before opening fire.

Zabuza was able to correct himself again and placed his sword in front of him to block the incoming bullets. However, he didn't notice Anko coming at him with a kick on the stomach that threw him back into the lake. Luckily, he was able to correct himself and landed on the surface, clutching at his stomach in pain.

Naruto, however, saw his chance to attack. He quickly dematerialized the now useless chain and pulled out Ebony. Holding both guns in front of him, aimed at Zabuza's feet, he charged as much chakra as he could towards his weapons causing it to vibrate and glow.

"**Twin Explosions."**

Naruto shouted before firing the concentrated chakra bullets from his guns, heading straight for Zabuza's feet. The missing-nin saw this and determined its trajectory. He swore when he realized what the blonde was planning so he jumped out of the way but it was too late.

Both bullets hit the water and exploded, causing a shockwave of water that hit Zabuza with enough force to propel him back to the lake shore, smacking right onto a tree.

Naruto knew that Zabuza's skills would allow him to evade the attack but the explosion afterwards will surely cause some damage. And it did. After seeing Zabuza hit the tree with a sickening crack, he immediately charged up Ebony and Ivory with as much lightning chakra as he could.

He saw Zabuza groan and pull himself off the ground so he immediately fired at him, hitting him on the chest which brought him slamming back into the tree from the force of the attack; this time, electrocuting the Demon of the Mist causing him to release a loud scream of pain. It took quite a while for the electricity to leave his system but he eventually blacked out from the pain. He slumped to the ground smoking and clearly unconscious.

Naruto slumped to the ground after seeing his opponent knocked out. He could feel the adrenaline leave his system, causing him to feel a lot more tired than usual. He felt a hand on his shoulder so he turned and saw Anko looking at him in concern.

"You okay gaki?" asked Anko. Naruto just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm good. Just the adrenaline leaving me so I'm a bit tired at the moment." he said to his adopted sister so she wouldn't worry. He turned to the smoking Zabuza. "You might want to check him out. I hit him with an overpowered Stun Bullet so he should be out of it but it wouldn't hurt to check on him just in case."

Anko nodded and walked towards Zabuza with a kunai in hand. But before she could get near, three senbon needles flew out of the forest and hit Zabuza on the neck. The caused the Demon of the Mist to go into shock before slumping back on the ground, this time he wasn't breathing.

The Snake Mistress was shocked at the sudden attack and tensed for a sudden attack. She felt something to her left so she threw her kunai at the intruder. There was a loud clang and silence.

A figure walked out of the forest carrying Anko's kunai by the ring on the handle with a finger. Naruto looked at the intruder and couldn't help but admire the predatory grace he was exuding. The figure was wearing a Mist Hunter-nin mask and a dark green battle kimono. His hair was quite long; the top was tied to a bun. Before he could say anything, the Hunter-nin spoke.

"Sorry for the intrusion but I couldn't help but land the finishing blow." said the Hunter Nin before indicating the corpse of Zabuza. "I've been hunting him for months now and I was lucky that you brought him down. I'm sorry to have stolen your kill from you but it is necessary for my mission."

Anko just shook her head and walked towards Zabuza. She placed a finger to a vein on the other side of the missing-nins neck to check for a pulse. There was none. "He really is dead." she whispered before standing up and addressing the Hunter-nin. "So I take it you will be taking the body now and destroy it?"

The Hunter-nin nodded casually threw the kunai back to its owner who calmly caught it by the ring before pocketing it. "Thank you for bringing him down. I'll make sure that his bounty will be forwarded to your Kage since you played a large role in the success of my mission." With that, the Hunter-nin placed a hand on Zabuza's chest before disappearing from the battlefield in a torrent of water.

* * *

><p>Naruto was currently munching on a stick of Dango while watching Yakumo tend to the injured with a curious eye. "How are they Yakumo-chan?" he asked his teammate.<p>

"They're doing fine except for the Uchiha. Sai have a slight concussion since Haruno told me that he was kicked on the head by Zabuza. Haruno is fine, just scared stiff." said Yakumo with a shrug as she scanned the unconscious Sasuke with a diagnostic jutsu she learned from Tsunade. "Now this guy over here needs a little bit of work. He sustained four broken ribs, concussion to the back of the head, a broken shoulder, bruises, and chakra exhaustion. I guess Zabuza did a number on him."

Naruto had to hold back a snicker that was about to escape his lips when Yakumo listed down Sasuke's injuries. "How about Kakashi-san? He seems to be out of it." asked Naruto as he trailed his eyes over to the sleeping Jounin beside a relaxing Tazuna.

"Nothing's wrong with him. Just chakra exhaustion because he overused his Sharingan, as well as the chakra draining effect of Zabuza's technique. Good thing Anko-sensei bailed him out and stayed out of the fight or else he would be out for a week. He just needs to sleep it off for a day or two then he'll be fine." replied Yakumo as she started to heal Sasuke's broken ribs.

Naruto nodded and walked over to where Anko was interviewing the bridge builder.

"Yo neechan. What are we going to do now?" asked Naruto as he seated himself beside the Snake Mistress. Anko shrugged.

"We're going to Tazuna's place after Yakumo finished healing the Uchiha." said Anko with a shrug then pointed to the old man. "His place is only a couple of miles north of here so we can get there in a few hours. We'll just have to take it slow because of the injured."

"Do you want me to transport them using the Hover Board? It will get us there faster." asked Naruto with a frown. He really didn't want to expose his creations to the world but he might need to for the sake of his teammates, even if he didn't like some of them. Anko just shook her head.

"No need gaki. We don't want to show our equipment to people who will surely blab about it. Kakashi's safe though but I don't trust his Genins. Besides, you can easily transport them using your abilities." said Anko with a grin. Naruto grinned back before nodding.

"Too true. After Yakumo-chan patches up the Uchiha then I'll create some stretchers then levitate them to Tazuna's house. With them floating behind us, we can get there faster." said the blonde with absolute confidence in his abilities.

* * *

><p>It took an hour for Yakumo to patch up the Uchiha for travel. It wasn't a quick fix considering the injuries the boy sustained but it was enough to avoid aggravating other injuries during transport.<p>

Naruto created three stretchers for the injured much to the surprise of Sakura and Tazuna, thought the latter voiced it out in shock.

"How in the world did you do that?" asked a shocked Sakura who couldn't believe that his former classmate just created something out of nothing without even bothering to do handseals. Naruto just shrugged and gave her an answer while levitating Sai, Sasuke, and Kakashi to their respective stretchers.

"It's my bloodline, Chakra Majutsu. I can do a lot of things that no normal shinobi can do. That's all I'm willing to tell you." said Naruto, not bothering to elaborate his abilities since he knew that Sakura couldn't keep her mouth shut. He levitated the stretchers with a wave of his hand and turned to Anko who was talking to Tazuna. "Anko-neechan. I'm done with the preparations."

"Good work gaki. Can you maintain it until we get to Tazuna's house? At our current pace, we will get there in two hours." Anko asked her adopted brother who just graced her with a confident grin.

"Easy. I can levitate them from Wave to Konoha and back without any problems." declared Naruto in total confidence. Anko nodded and addressed everyone in the group. Well, those that are awake anyway.

"Okay, here's what were going to do. Me and Tazuna will take the lead since he's the only one who can lead us to his place. Sakura and Yakumo will flank the injured in the middle. Naruto, you take the rear." commanded Anko. Getting a nod from everyone, she nudged Tazuna to lead the way and they were off.

Naruto immediately used his Telekinesis to place the stretchers in the middle of Yakumo and Sakura's position. He didn't have trouble maintaining it due to his training with the Hokage and Kyuubi, and he can easily do it while taking care of the back just in case they were attacked.

* * *

><p>It took them more than 2 hours to get to Tazuna's place because they have to take things slow since the bridge builder warned them that Gato was in complete control of the island and Anko didn't want to get ambushed during their travel.<p>

Once they got there, Tazuna enthusiastically introduced them to his daughter, Tsunami, though Naruto have to blush a bit after Tazuna told the woman that he was a 'super ninja with cool powers'.

After the brief introduction, Tsunami, despite being shocked at the floating stretchers behind Naruto, guided the injured to a vacant room where Yakumo can treat them easily without any interruptions. Naruto have to resort to creating three medical beds since the plain bed in the room didn't look too comfortable for the patients. Yakumo gave him some instruction on what she needed for the treatment, like some fresh bandages, pillows, medical gowns, and the likes. The blonde happily created everything she needed without question.

It was an hour later that Naruto was hanging out with Anko on the roof of Tazuna's house since Yakumo didn't want any distractions while she was treating the injured.

"So what are we going to do now? Yakumo-chan assured me that Kakashi and Sai will wake up tomorrow but Sasuke would take 3 days of complete bed rest before he can combat ready." said Naruto as he looked at the state of the village with a frown on his face.

"We can't do anything right now gaki. We can always come up with a strategy to bring down Gato since he's the root of the problem here in Wave. The sooner we remove him, the sooner the bridge will be finished without any problems. Besides, I think we have other concerns to worry about." said Anko. Naruto gave her a questioning look.

"Problem?" he half-asked, half stated. "I mean we already took care of Zabuza and only Gato is there to worry about."

"That's the thing. I don't think we've seen the last of Zabuza." said Anko with a large frown on her face. Seeing the questioning look on Naruto's face, she continued. "I think Zabuza is still alive. Did you notice anything weird about the Hunter-nin?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nope. I mean he did kill Zabuza and that's his job, right?"

"Yes and that's the problem. A Hunter-nin is SUPPOSED to dispose of the body on the spot, after removing the head of course. The one that took Zabuza didn't do that. He just removed the 'corpse' out of the clearing. And the weapon he used to bring Zabuza wasn't suited to kill. I want to talk to Yakumo about this. Maybe she can shed some light regarding this situation since she's trained to be a medic-nin and they use senbons in their line of work." explained Anko. Naruto nodded, comprehension dawning on his face.

"Maybe we should check on Yakumo right now. I think she's done treating Sasuke." said Naruto snickering a bit. "I can't believe that he was arrogant to believe that he could take Zabuza by himself."

"You did tell me that he's been always a braggart regarding his superiority." said Anko, snickering as well. "Hopefully this will teach him a few things about reality. Why don't we head on down and check if Yakumo is available?"

With a nod from Naruto, both of them dropped to the ground without a sound and walked into the house to go to Yakumo. They both greeted Tsunami who was currently in the kitchen preparing dinner and ignored his brooding son, Inari, on the table. They went up the stairs to the make-shift infirmary and entered as quietly as they could.

Naruto saw Yakumo wrapping a bandage around Sai's head. "Hey Yakumo-chan. Can we bother you for a minute? There are some things that we need to talk to you about."

"No worries Naruto-san. I'm almost done with my last patient. I'll be with you in a second." said Yakumo without bothering to look at them. Naruto just shrugged and walked to an empty corner, created a very comfortable sofa and plopped down with Anko doing the same beside him. It took 10 minutes for Yakumo to finish her ministrations of Sai.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" she asked tiredly before popping a Chakra Pill into her mouth.

"What can you tell us about senbons?" Anko asked seriously.

"What about it? You have to be specific you know." said Yakumo as she sat at the foot of Sai's medical bed.

"Is it possible to kill using senbons?" asked Anko in a serious voice which Yakumo immediately picked up.

"Hmmm. Senbons are commonly used in various medical techniques though there are some shinobis, especially Combat Medics who uses it along with an art called Acupuncture to disable opponents. But to answer your question, no, senbons can't be used to kill. Disable, yes. Kill, no." explained Yakumo. "Why did you ask such a mundane question?"

Anko and Naruto just shared a look before the Snake Mistress blurted it out. "I think Zabuza is still alive."

Yakumo looked at her sharply. She wasn't able to observe Naruto and Anko's battle with Zabuza because she was too busy maintaining the illusion, as well as applying first aid to the injured. But the reports she got from the two while they were walking towards Tazuna's house described the battle in detail.

"Why do you say that?" she asked, voice equally serious as Anko's.

"Because the Hunter-nin used three senbon needles to kill Zabuza." explained Naruto. Yakumo turned to him sharply.

"Where was he hit?" she asked, tense.

"At the neck." Naruto supplied. She caught the worried look on his teammates face. "What got you so worried?"

"You're right. Zabuza is still alive. If what you said is correct then Zabuza was put in a death-like state commonly used by experts in Acupuncture to put the body in a full coma – physically and mentally. This is mostly used as a preparatory procedure to cure terminally ill patients. It is no longer being used because of the side-effects though." explained Yakumo with a thoughtful frown on her face.

Naruto was about to ask but was interrupted by a voice from one of the medical beds. "What side-effects?" asked a very tired Kakashi.

"Kakashi-san. You aren't supposed to be up yet." said Yakumo while running a diagnostic jutsu over his stomach and chest to check on his chakra levels. "You're still not fully recovered. You need to rest."

Kakashi just shook his head before giving the medic-nin a smile. "Don't worry. I won't be leaving this bed without your express permission. I woke up while you were talking and listened. From Naruto and Anko's questions, I would assume that Zabuza is still alive and from your explanation, I second their assumptions. Now what can you tell me about the side-effects caused by the death-like state?"

Yakumo just sighed and pulled out a Chakra Pill from her pouch and handed it to Kakashi who just accepted it without question and popped it into his mouth. "The main reason why this method in Acupuncture is no longer used is the long recuperation time when a patient is brought out of the state." From the questioning looks she got from Anko, Kakashi, and Naruto, she continued.

"The Death-Like state is aptly named. By targeting the pressure points in the neck, it can relatively halt all body functions without killing them – hence the term Death-Like. However, this causes the body to stop its basic functions for a time. The longer you are in this state, the more damage there is for the body to heal. The body is not meant to be put in this state that is why it is clinically advised to remove a patient from the state within 10 minutes or else their body would lock up. The studies conducted by medical experts show that a person in a 30-minute Death-Like State requires at least a week to recuperate."

"So this means that Zabuza would be recuperating from this for a week, correct?" asked Anko in a happy tone, which immediately disappeared when Yakumo shook her head.

"It would take a week but a skilled medic-nin can easily decrease the recuperation time by using medical chakra to speed up the healing process." explained Yakumo. "We can assume that Zabuza has access to a medic-nin or the Hunter-nin is a medic-nin since he used senbons as his weapon."

"If that is the case then we can also assume that Zabuza was a skilled associate with him aside from Gato's hired thugs. That complicates things a bit." mused Naruto as he fingered Ivory from its holster.

Kakashi nodded before adding his two cents. "I could say that Naruto hit the nail on the head. Even if the Hunter-nin can heal Zabuza from the death-like state, we can still assume that it would take longer since he sustained other injuries during your battle. I would say a week, give or take a day or two before he will come back again. This time, I'm sure he will be targeting Tazuna out in the open, specifically at the bridge since that is where the old man will be spending most of his time." He turned to Yakumo. "When will Sasuke and Sai be ready for training?"

"Hmmmm. Sai will be alright tomorrow. He only had a concussion and I already healed him so all he needs is a night's rest. Uchiha, on the other hand, will take three days to fully heal. He sustained a lot of injuries during his meeting with Zabuza." said Yakumo before shaking her head in disdain. "Stupid idiot. A Genin shouldn't tackle an A-Rank missing-nin head on like that."

"That would be hypocritical, don't you think? I mean, Naruto also faced Zabuza." said Kakashi with a frown, trying to defend his student. It was true that what Yakumo said was true but it didn't mean that he'd like it.

"If you observed the battle, I'm sure that Naruto-san only meant to distract Zabuza long enough for Anko-sensei to butt in, which she did. Naruto used his range weapons to make sure that he isn't hurt from the face-off. Anko-sensei got there in time to face him with Naruto-san acting as support so I don't think Naruto-san was as stupid as your student." said Yakumo with some heat. She was very overprotective of her teammates and she didn't like it when someone ridicules them without any reason.

Kakashi held up both of his hands in surrender. "Fine. You're correct and I'm wrong. I'm sorry?" he apologized to the clearly irate Yakumo who just nodded tersely before standing up from the bed she was sitting on and proceeded to check on the Uchiha.

Anko and Naruto had to hide the grin that was making way onto their faces when Yakumo defended the blonde. It was heartening to see the usually stoic Yakumo to show her emotions, especially to her teammates.

"So Kakashi, what do you have in mind? I want to make some strategy regarding Zabuza and Gato. The sooner we get rid of them, the better." asked Anko. Kakashi just shrugged telling the two that he was stumped out of ideas.

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Damn. I forgot to contact Hokage-jiji." he cursed before channeling chakra to his communicator. "Hey jiji. You there?" There was static on the line so Naruto pushed in more chakra. "Jiji? You there?"

There was a little bit more static but the Hokage's voice finally came through. _"Naruto? I can't hear you very well, there's some static on the line."_ said the Hokage clearly.

Naruto channeled more chakra to the communicator before continuing. "How is it now jiji?"

"_Loud and clear, Naruto-kun. Are you in Wave right now?"_ asked the Hokage, relief clearly evident on his voice.

"Yeah jiji. Sorry it took me quite a while to contact you. We encountered some problems on the way here." apologize Naruto before going into an in-depth explanation of what happened starting with their meeting with Zabuza and their entry to Wave. It took quite a while for the Hokage to voice out a reply from the report but when he did, it took Naruto by surprise.

"_Naruto-kun, did you have a spare communicator like the one you installed here on my desk?"_ asked the Hokage.

"Well, yeah. I have two of them in my laboratory right now. Why do you ask jiji?" replied Naruto, confused by sudden request.

"_Do you think you could get it there using your abilities? I have new orders concerning this mission and I want to make sure that everyone can hear it." _

"Uhhhh sure. Give me a moment jiji." said Naruto with a thoughtful frown on his face. "_Hey Kyu, do you think I could summon the storage scroll containing the spare communicator here?" _

"_**Hmmmm I'm sure it's possible but you might want to use my chakra. There's a very large distance between Wave and Konoha so using my chakra wouldn't leave you exhausted afterwards. I'll supply the chakra, you do the control." **_said the bijuu.

"_Sure. Give it to me." _said Naruto, already feeling the sensation of Kyuubi's chakra flowing through his coils.

He held out his hand, palm up, and concentrated on the specific scroll that holds the items he needed. He willed the chakra to flow into his hand while visualizing the item to appear. It took quite a while and he was about to give up when a sudden surge of chakra welled up inside him followed by a loud popping sound upon the appearance of the scroll he was visualizing on his hand. Naruto almost dropped it from the shock, as well as the exhaustion that came with the effort.

"Whew. That took a lot of juice to accomplish." said Naruto before taking a deep breath. "At least it worked."

"What did you do gaki?" asked Anko in confusion. She felt the miniscule amount of Kyuubi's chakra flowing through his adopted brother and she knew that Kakashi felt it too judging from how tense he became on his bed.

"I just teleported a scroll that jiji wanted from my house to my hand. It sounds easy and the theory was sound but it takes a shit-load of power. Have to use Kyu's chakra to get it done or else I would be exhausted right now. I'm just a little out of breath." replied Naruto with a grin. The Hokage was listening from the earpiece since Naruto didn't turn it off.

"_Did you get it Naruto-kun?"_ asked the aged leader.

"Got it jiji. Give me a few minutes to set it up." said Naruto as he unsealed the item on the scroll much to everyone's curiosity.

From everyone's point of view, it looked like a speaker with a circular notch at the top. It was lined with various seals that none of them were familiar with.

Naruto grinned when he saw that everyone was paying attention to his invention. Wanting to get the show on the road, Naruto pulled out the communicator from his ear and placed it on top of the box where the circular notch was located. There was an audible click meaning that it was properly locked in place. Channeling a bit of his chakra to the box, it glowed a bright blue before dying down.

"Testing, testing. Can you hear me jiji?" asked Naruto. Everyone was looking at him as if he was crazy. However, they were shocked when they heard the Hokage's voice coming out of the box.

"_Loud and clear Naruto-kun. It seems that your secondary communication panel worked. This would make it easier to discuss things with the group."_ said the Hokage in a happy voice.

"H-Hokage-sama?" stuttered Kakashi, unable to believe that he was talking to the Hokage who was miles away from them in his office in Konoha.

"_From the voice, I think that's Kakashi, correct?"_ said an amused Hokage.

"H-hai. How is this possible?" asked the one-eyed Jounin, looking at the box contraption in total disbelief.

"_Well, you have Naruto-kun to thank for that. We can talk about that later if you want to. Anyway, back to business. Can everyone hear me loud and clear?" _

There was a chorus of 'hai' from everyone in the room except for those who were unconscious, namely Sai and Sasuke. Sakura was downstairs helping Tsunami in the kitchen so she was absent from the impromptu meeting.

"_Good. This will make it easier to give you your assigned duties for this mission. Team 7 under Hatake Kakashi will continue with their parameters to guard and protect Tazuna. Due to the appearance of Momochi Zabuza and his…accomplice, the C-Rank mission will be bumped to A-Rank. Understood Kakashi?"_

"Hai Hokage-sama." declared Kakashi with a nod, already plotting a training and guard schedule once his team is up and about.

"_Mitarashi Anko and the rest of the Tokubetsu Brigade. You will find and infiltrate Gato's base and eliminate him. You have my permission to take any valuables within his person if you can find them. However, make sure to look for the documents concerning the citizens of Wave. Return any assets that was stolen. The rest bring them back to me here in Konoha for perusal. Understood?"_

"Gotcha Hokage-sama." Anko exclaimed happily while Naruto was rubbing his hands together at the possibility of getting more money for his future…projects.

"_Perfect. Kakashi. Everything concerning Naruto's weapons and inventions are S-Class secret punishable by death."_ said the Hokage in a calm voice but the underlying threat was quite obvious.

"Of course Hokage-sama. Are there any orders concerning me and my team?" asked Kakashi since he already knew that Anko's team was directly under the Hokage and not in his command despite the fact that he has seniority over the Snake Mistress.

"_None. You have your orders so carry them out. And Naruto-kun, Yakumo-chan, Anko, please be careful. Over and out."_ said the Hokage through the speaker/communicator before static was heard informing everyone that the Hokage cut off communications from his end.

Naruto grabbed the box and pulled out the communicator and replaced it back to his ear. He sealed the box inside its scroll and placed it inside the storage seal on his hand. "So I guess we got our orders. When are we going to get started Anko-neechan?" he asked his adopted sister. Anko was scratching her chin, deep in thought.

"I think it would be best to lie low for a few days since Yakumo will be busy taking care of the injured. Once Team 7 is up and running, we will proceed with our mission to find Gato's base and destroy it." She paused for a bit before continuing. "After we ransack it of course." she added with an evil smirk which were followed by both Yakumo and Naruto. Kakashi saw it and a shiver ran down his spine.

* * *

><p>The three days they have to wait for Sasuke to heal up from his injuries was quite boring for the two teams.<p>

After getting their orders from the Hokage, Tokubetsu Brigade and Kakashi had an impromptu strategy meeting. They only decided a few things from there, nothing concrete but it would get the ball rolling before they could come up with anything solid.

For Kakashi, he decided to train his team when they're ready. He woke up the next day dragging Sakura and Sai into the woods to train them in chakra control, as well as fine tuning their taijutsu to prepare for the potential battle in a week's time.

Naruto, Yakumo, and Anko scoured the town of Wave for information concerning Gato and his band of merry men. What they discovered sickened them to the point that they were about to declare a full-blown war on the midget tyrant.

It seems that Gato's hold on the island was absolute. Every townspeople had their assets stolen, especially the deeds to their properties which Gato let them have for rent, which was paid everyday. All their profits for the day, which was already quite small considering that entire town was destitute, was seized. Food was scarce and moral was slow. Naruto even snarled one time when he saw the kids looking for good in a garbage dump.

The worst of all is the abduction of the women of Wave which was currently being held in Gato's hideout. Rumors has it that they would be sold in other countries as slaves or in prostitution rings. Naruto was about to blow his top but thankfully, Anko and Yakumo was there to restrain him before he can do something that could compromise their mission.

Sasuke woke up the third day and was given a free bill of health when Yakumo checked him for injuries. Kakashi immediately dragged him out of the house into the woods for training so there wasn't any time for the Uchiha to question about the Tokubetsu Brigade's presence. Said team hoped that Kakashi would inform the absent member of the chances in the mission parameters to avoid compromising whatever plans they have.

Of course, while Kakashi was training his team, Naruto was voted by Anko and Yakumo to guard Tazuna until they could come up with a strategy to destroy Gato. Needless to say, the femme fatale of Tokubetsu Brigade weren't idle and spent most of their time scouring the island to search for Gato's base.

It was on their fourth day that Anko and Yakumo returned to Tazuna's house to tell everyone that they discovered Gato's base and come up with a strategy to bring him down.

* * *

><p>"Gato's base is currently located in a forest on the other side of the island. Thanks to Yakumo's genjutsu, we were able to determine their exact numbers, as well as the status of Zabuza and his apprentice." reported Anko while enjoying a cup of tea courtesy of Tsunami. It was pretty cold and wet outside so a spot of warm drinks definitely hit the spot for the Snake Mistress.<p>

"What did you find out neechan?" asked Naruto who was quite eager to know what they found out about their enemies. Of course, Team 7 and Kakashi was eagerly waiting for her answer so they remained silent.

"Gato's base is a 3-story mansion. He has around 400 thugs composed of bandits and mercenaries. Not really trained to pose of a threat so all they have is numbers. After infiltrating the mansion, we found out that Zabuza is currently being taken cared of by his apprentice named Haku. If you must know, he was the Hunter-nin that took Zabuza out." reported Anko before taking another sip of her tea before continuing. "The captives composed of the women of Wave are being held in a secure cage in the basement. They have 4 guards keeping an eye on the prisoners so we weren't able to break them out though we wouldn't have to since it wasn't part of the plan."

"I found out that Gato is planning to double-cross Zabuza after he kills the bridge builder. Their plan includes ambushing Zabuza on the bridge when he takes down Tazuna and kill him along with his apprentice. From the looks of it, this has been Gato's modus operandi regarding missing-nins. Hire them then kill them after their mission is finished." said Yakumo in disgust. Her foray into Gato's mansion stretched her patience to end the life of the tyrant there and then but she knew that she had to still her hand or else it would cause Gato's thugs to kill the townspeople of Wave in retaliation.

"Sounds like a big battle coming in for us. Even if we did manage to take down Zabuza and his apprentice then we will still have to face Gato and his thugs." Naruto said with a thoughtful frown on his face. Kakashi nodded.

"Our best bet would be to take down Gato first before they can launch an attack. Zabuza is not a problem at this point since he is still recuperating and it might be possible to sway him from his current mission if he finds out that Gato is planning to betray him." said Kakashi, adding his two cents. Sasuke, who was listening to the whole report, frowned.

"Why don't we just take them both out and be done with it. There's quite a lot of us here to bring them down." declared Sasuke with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun can easily destroy them without anyone's help." said Sakura in a determined voice. Everyone else just gave the two an incredulous stare. Sai chose to burst their bubble with a sarcastic comment on his own.

"Sure. Uchiha-san can easily bring them down. After all, he was clobbered silly by Zabuza during our battle so it only stands to reason that 400 thugs, Gato, Zabuza, and his apprentice is a very easy solo mission for him." said Sai in a sarcastic tone though it was quite hard to determine that since he was speaking in monotone.

Naruto snickered at the direct jab at the Uchiha's incompetence. Of course, Sakura saw this and immediately attacked the blonde.

"What are you snickering about baka? Sasuke-kun can easily take care of our enemies." shouted Haruno. Naruto just leveled her a stare that froze her in her seats.

"Shut up, Sakura. I thought you're the Top Kunoichi in the Academy but I didn't know you were this stupid." growled Naruto. "If you think your 'Sasuke-kun' can handle the enemy then how come he was easily DEFEATED by Zabuza, sustaining injuries that TOOK Yakumo three days to heal. Not to mention that you were frozen with a kunai while we were trying our best to defeat Zabuza. So tell me Sakura, where is the logic in your statement?"

Of course, Sakura chose to shut up since Naruto made a point but the blonde didn't let up his tirade.

"You're nothing but a poor excuse of a kunoichi. Sure you have the brains but your blind devotion to the Uchiha robbed you of your common sense. Tell me Sakura, how can you expect your 'prince charming' to protect you if he can't even protect himself. All you know are the basic Academy jutsu and your booksmarts which you don't even use." said Naruto in a scathing tone. "This is the reality of being a shinobi Haruno-san. If you don't fight for yourself then you're as good as dead. That is why we are assigned a team to make sure that all of us survive while we finish the mission. From what I can see in your team, you're expecting everyone to save you. Well? Care to tell me I'm wrong? I dare you."

"Naruto, stop antagonizing Sakura. That was uncalled for." scolded Kakashi though he knew that Naruto was right.

"No, Kakashi-san. Despite her fan-girl attitude, she is still a member of the Konoha shinobi force so I'm helping her right now by telling her the truth. If she doesn't shape up then she wouldn't last long in this career. Let's face it, almost every girl in the Academy in my group joined because of Sasuke, expecting to curry his favor by being a kunoichi but not training themselves to actually be one. Haruno-san here is the daughter of a rich merchant so she's been spoiled rotten. If she thinks that there's always someone there to save her then it would be merciful to just let her quit the program or bump her back to the Academy for re-education." said Naruto in a cold voice. This caused a lot of reactions in the group except for Naruto's teammates since they knew about the hardship of shinobi life. It's either to shape up or die.

Sakura was tearing up at the verbal abuse she was getting from the blonde. She couldn't fault his explanation since it was true. Her main concern in becoming a kunoichi was to woo the last Uchiha and she didn't bother to learn the harsh realities that comes with the job.

Sai, on the other hand, was looking at Naruto with his emotionless face though if you look hard enough, you could see a glimmer of admiration in his eyes directed at the blonde.

Sasuke, however, was seething at how the blonde was actually pointing out the facts that he lost to Zabuza. He failed to realize that the Demon of the Mist actually had years of experience on his resume and abilities that is far beyond his reach at the moment. He was blinded by hate and anger that he failed to realize the reality in front of him.

Naruto saw the look on Sakura's face and how his words had hit her hard. His frowning visage softened and use his telekinesis to push her chin up so that she could see the look he was directing at her. A look of understanding and a true smile.

"I didn't say those things to hurt you Sakura but you need to realize that being what you are right now will get you killed in the future. Sure there is nothing wrong in trusting your teammates when it comes to your safety but sometimes you have to improve yourself to avoid problems in the future." he said with a smile on his face. "You are a very talented kunoichi Sakura and I know that you will be stronger in the future. Heck, you might even become the best there is since Tsunade of the Sannin. All you need to do is to put a more effort into your training and you wouldn't have to worry." Naruto released his ethereal hold on Sakura's chin. Sakura nodded and gave Naruto a grateful smile which the blonde happily returned.

"Well, it's getting late so I'm going to go to sleep early. I have some training to do tomorrow to prepare for the mission. Good night all." said Naruto as a farewell before heading up the stairs towards his team's room.

The dinner table was silent as Naruto's words washed over everyone. No one could deny the fact that what the blonde said was true, except for Sasuke who just scoffed and going back to his usual brooding. Each of the Konoha-nins were deep into their own thoughts to notice a frowning boy at the bottom of the stairs listening to every word that was said.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was quite proud of Naruto in that moment. Sure he was a bit put out that the blonde hurt one of his Genins but he couldn't deny the fact that everything that Naruto said was true.<p>

Ever since he passed Team 7, he was trying his hardest to make the team work. He had no problems with Sai since he worked well with the rest of the team, except for the times that he released some sarcastic comments that caused both Sasuke and Sakura to clobber him silly.

Sasuke was a problem child in his team. The boy was quite talented, possibly in the same caliber as his brother, Itachi. But his drive of revenge caused the dark-haired Uchiha to shun the rest of the group as if they were the plague. All he wanted was to get stronger and viewed his team as a hindrance to his goal.

Sakura, on the other hand, was one of Kakashi's project. He tried hard to get into her head and get rid of her fan-girl tendencies to no avail. He tried everything – offering training, talks, even beating her in team exercises. Nothing worked. However, he saw that Naruto's moment of heat hit her where it hurt the most. Naruto, obvious to his tirade, hit Sakura's pride of being a kunoichi. He could now see that the girl was now taking things seriously. He vowed to continue Naruto's work on the pink-haired Genin and train her to the best of his abilities.

* * *

><p>Naruto opened the door to his room and entered with a sigh. He closed the door and walked towards the open window and gazed upon the waters surrounding Wave Country. He didn't mean to hurt Sakura with his speech downstairs but she got on his last nerve in regards to her fangirlish view of being a kunoichi. He didn't like her since the Academy and he knew that she didn't like him as well but he couldn't help but try to reach out to her as a fellow Konoha shinobi.<p>

He sighed and looked up to the sky and saw that it was a great night for flying. He jumped out the window and brought his telekinesis to bear. He floated for a few seconds outside his window before shooting up to the sky.

Naruto can't deny the fact that out of all the skills he had at his disposal thanks to his Chakra Majutsu bloodline, flying was the best. He liked how the cold air buffeted his face as he soared up to the sky and granting him the best view anyone could ever ask for.

When he reached a high-enough altitude, he stopped and floated in a lotus position, letting his thoughts overcome him as he gazed at the twinkling lights of the town of Wave below.

"_**How are you doing kit?"**_ asked Kyuubi despite the fact that he already knew what Naruto was feeling since he was inside his mind.

"_I'm fine but I don't like it when I lose control of my emotions like that."_ Naruto told his tenant.

"_**Understandable. It was a good thing you did back there. A bit harsh but good nonetheless."**_ complimented the fox. _**"Anyway, I was thinking that maybe after this mission we can go to that island we talked about."**_

"_You mean your private stash?" _

"_**Yes. Since Tea Country is just south of here, you can easily take your teammates with you for the ride. With your Hover Board, it won't take but an hour or two at top speed to get there."**_

"_I might need to clear it up with jiji but since I can contact him from anywhere now then I don't see a problem with that."_

"_**Good. I'll go back to my nap. Wake me up if something good comes up."**_ said Kyuubi with a yawn before the connection was cut off.

After that short conversation with his tenant, Naruto decided to stay in the air enjoying the view. Thanks to all his training, maintaining flight was easy for him even if had to keep it up for hours, even when he brings someone along. It was an hour later that he decided to call it a night and dropped down to the ground, which landed him on the pier. Seeing that it was still early, he willed a silver flute to appear on his hand and proceeded to play throughout the night.

* * *

><p>Inari was currently brooding in his room, thinking about how hopeless the situation is because of Gato's tyranny.<p>

In the past, Inari was a cheerful boy who loved nothing more than to just have fun with the rest of the kids. He became subdued when Gato infiltrated the island and took over. His demeanor made a complete change, however, when he was forced to watch his stepfather, Kaiza, murdered in front of him in a public execution.

Today, Inari was a bleak kid who kept telling people that everything is hopeless. The only person who he ever gave a smile to was his grandfather, Tazuna, and his mother, Tsunami. However, those were still fake smiles.

As he brooded in his room, a melody echoing across Wave floated to his room. The melody was full of life though there was a wave of sadness in it that he couldn't explain. It soothed him, and at the same time, it brought out memories of a time where everyone was happy.

He looked out the window to see a person sitting at the edge of the pier playing an instrument. He couldn't tell from the distance but he recognized the trench coat wearing blonde that came in with the team from Konoha. Inari frowned at the sight of the shinobi. Why should they be coming here and helping his grandfather in making the bridge? Can't they understand that its hopeless? Can't they understand that they will die?

He decided then to confront the teen and speak his mind. He walked to the other side of his room and took his hat from the cabinet. He placed it on his head and exited the room. He didn't bother to greet his mother or grandfather, or the Konoha shinobi discussing strategies to bring down Gato while protecting his grandfather.

He exited the house in a determined gait, not noticing the sad look directed towards his retreating back from his mother.

* * *

><p>Naruto was enjoying the tranquility of the pier as he played his flute. He was quite good with the instrument ever since he discovered that he had a knack for it. The song he was playing now was one of his original creations, a sad song filled with longing for a family and what might have been. The serenity, however, was shattered when a child's voice broke through his concentration.<p>

"You should just leave with the rest of your team. Gato will kill you."

Naruto turned to see a scowling Inari. He knew the child's story thanks to Sasuke asking their client when they saw a photo of a man ripped out of picture frame. He understood the child's bitterness but he could never condone the aura of hopelessness that the child seems to exude. The aura of defeat. Naruto frowned at the sight.

"What do you mean Inari?" asked Naruto, playing innocent to get the boy to talk. He already knew what the boy wanted it to say but he wanted Inari to voice it out first and put in his two cents.

"You're all going to die. No one can stand up against Gato. Everyone who does ends up getting killed." Inari ranted with tears trailing down his cheeks. "If you know what's good for you then you'll leave. You don't have any right to barge in here and act as heroes."

Naruto looked at the crying boy for a few seconds before turning back to the tranquil waters below the pier. Of course, Inari was infuriated in being ignored was about to lash out with another tirade but stopped when the blonde started talking in a soft, yet determined voice.

"You know Inari. We didn't come here to be heroes. Shinobis are never heroes to begin with. The life we live is never easy. Shinobis are faced with dangers everyday." Naruto said in a voice filled with passion. "Sure, we are trained to be fighters but we can never deny the fact that we could get killed in facing enemies that are stronger than us. That is what we do. That I the life we live by. I'm sure you don't understand this life because you're not a shinobi."

"However, you're right. Shinobis can be heroes depending on what they do during missions. I have a true story to tell you if you are willing to hear it." said Naruto before turning to Inari, patting the wooden plank beside him as an invitation to sit.

Inari hesitated for a moment before taking the offer. He sat beside the blonde and looked out into the waters. He didn't see Naruto smile at him before following the boy's actions.

"You're grandfather and mother told us about Kaiza." Said Naruto before pausing waiting for the boy to flare at the admission. Thankfully, Inari stayed silent except for a slight tensing to his slouched posture. The blonde took it as a good sign and decided to continue. "You're stepfather, Kaiza, died to protect everyone here in Wave. Sure he could have done better but we can never deny the fact that being ganged up on by dozens of thugs with weapons backed by a rich tyrant are never good odds. However, he fought for what he believed in and died to protect those he love – you, your mother, your grandfather, and the people of Wave." Naruto paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"This is what your grandfather is doing right now. He braved the bandits in between Wave and Konoha to ask for help. He lied about the mission because he didn't have enough money to hire more experienced shinobis for the job. It took courage to lie to a shinobi since it always leads to dire circumstances."

"But why did he do it?" Inari whispered, not knowing what Naruto trying to tell him. He already knew all this.

"Simply, because he wanted to protect his loved ones. Same as what your father Kaiza did which caused him to be killed. Good thing we were there to stop the threats" said Naruto, adding the last part jokingly to alleviate the tension in the air between the two of them.

"But I don't understand why he did it. He could have been killed like what happened to…" Inari trailed off with a sniff, remembering his loving father who was brutally executed by Gato and his band of thugs.

"Let me tell you a story Inari. This is a true story that happened in Konoha more than a decade ago. The village was attacked by the most powerful of bijuus by the name of Kyuubi no Kitsune, the nine tailed demon fox. The demon was so powerful that the Konoha shinobis who fought it were either injured or killed. Nothing could stop his rampage." said Naruto in a solemn voice. "However, the leader at that time, the Yondaime Hokage sacrificed his life to summon the Shinigami and defeated the demon. He didn't kill it but he did seal it to a newborn child to keep it imprisoned until such time that the child dies."

"Why did he do it?" asked Inari in an incredulous voice. Being a kid, he loved stories especially when there's a good fight involved. But he couldn't understand the reason behind the Yondaime's actions.

Naruto just gave the innocent kid a smile before answering. "It's simple Inari. He did what he did because of his precious people. He loved Konoha and its people. Like a good Hokage, he made sure to protect them with everything he had at his disposal. He knew that it would kill him to seal Kyuubi inside the baby but he did it anyway since he wanted to protect those that are precious to him."

"I-I see." said Inari with a little bit of hesitation. "So this is what my father and grandfather is doing right now?"

Naruto nodded. "Correct. Your father died because he wanted to protect his precious people. Your grandfather is constructing the bridge to make sure that Wave is free from Gato. He is also doing it to secure a bright future for you and everyone else in the country." He finished with a smile, which turned into a grin when he noticed the understanding in Inari's eyes, as well as the steely determination within.

Silence descended upon the two as they enjoyed the peace and quiet of the night. Not seeing anything better to do, Naruto went back to playing his flute, a melody filled with life and happiness wafted through the town from the pier.

"Ummmm aniki. What were you doing before coming to the pier? I didn't see you here before when I was watching the place from my bedroom window." asked Inari curiously. Naruto grinned at the affectionate nickname the kid gave him.

"I was flying." Naruto answered simply. Inari gave him an incredulous look.

"You can fly? REALLY?" the boy asked excitedly.

"Yep. Here let me show you." said Naruto, flicking his wrist towards the boy causing he kid to float in the air, eye filled with excitement. "Want to go fly around for a bit?"

Inari nodded eagerly causing Naruto to grin. The blonde stood up and made he flute disappear back to nothingness causing the kid to go wide-eyed in shock. Grinning, Naruto floated along side the boy before saying "I hope you love heights."

Making sure that he had a solid grip in his abilities, both Naruto and Inari shot up to the sky, shouts of glee and excitement echoed through the air causing a lot of people to ponder what was happening outside.

* * *

><p>End of Chapter 07. Review please.<p> 


	8. Important Announcement POLL UP

**Greetings, my beloved readers and followers;**

**First of all, I would like to thank everyone for your patronage of my fanstories, your many reviews and comments have helped in their development, and granted me a boon in learning and improving in the process.**

**The reason I am putting up this announcement is the lack of time I currently have to devote to my stories. Work and some issues raised its ugly head and demands quite a lot of my time, taking quite a chunk of my writing and brainstorming sessions.**

**This is why I decided to put up a poll to give you, my readers and followers, a chance to pick stories that you want me to work on. This doesn't mean that I won't be working with the rest, only that updates would be pretty slow due to the lack of time I have at my disposal.**

**Anyway, the poll is up and please pick three stories you want me to focus my attention on. The poll will be up for 2 weeks before I will post an announcement as to what stories will be updated.**

**That's it for now.**

**Cheers everyone.**

**Corruptmonk**


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